Zhang Tianhe, who pioneered and promoted the Hanzhou New Fist style, was dead. He died in a decisive battle against Qin Fen on the border of Tianbei Province, where Qin Fen shattered both his arms and pierced his chest, defeating him after he had fought and defeated multiple successors of the New Leap Fist style. (This book is reposted from 1K Literature Network. .6.)

The death of a Martial Arts Master is no small matter in the world of martial arts. Especially at this time, when Pei Chengjun, the founder of the New Leap Fist style, was posting everywhere to announce his formal duel with Qin Fen, the movements of the New Leap Fist style were being watched by many parties.

The news that Zhang Tianhe, who had killed two Martial Arts Masters in Europe, had fallen in battle in Tianbei City, quickly swept across several martial artist enclaves.

Qin Fen had killed many opponents since his debut, but he had never actually killed a Martial Arts Master. After slaying Zhang Tianhe this time, his reputation spread out like radiation.

“Zhang Tianhe was really killed?”

In Wulin, at the headquarters of the Eiyuu Martial Arts Dojo, Ji-Zhen Haotian, the founder of the New Kyokushin Karate style, slowly opened his eyes, maintaining a seated, meditative posture as he looked at the two martial artists opposite him, a distinct note of surprise in his tone.

Zhang Tianhe had been a Martial Arts Master for several years. Ji-Zhen Haotian had seen him once; he was definitely not a half-baked beginner who had just entered the rank, but a true Martial Arts Master who had essentially mastered the essence of the New Road Fist style.

That such a Martial Arts Master had fallen at the hands of a young martial artist under twenty years old made Ji-Zhen Haotian feel the news was somewhat fantastical.

Seated opposite Ji-Zhen Haotian were two individuals. One was a very fat man, two meters tall and weighing 560 jin, who, simply by sitting on the tatami mat, gave the impression of a moving mountain of flesh.

This man was Hashimoto Yojiro, the founder of Shin-Sumo, the style that saved the folk martial arts of Hezhou.

“Yes, although there’s an old saying in Zhongzhou, ‘Heroes emerge from the young,’ Qin Fen’s age is too young. A Martial Arts Master under twenty…”

Hashimoto Yojiro spoke, shaking his enormous head. The movement of his neck caused the folds of fat on his chest to tremble slightly. Despite his body appearing clumsy due to its bulk, no Martial Arts Master dared to underestimate him, given his terrifying destructive power.

“Although it was unexpected, Zhang Tianhe was indeed killed.”

The man seated beside Hashimoto Yojiro was naturally slight. His height of 1.65 meters and lean build made him look somewhat like a monkey when kneeling beside Hashimoto Yojiro.

This monkey-like man enjoyed the same prestige in the martial arts world of Hezhou as the other two present: Hatoyama Kazuo, the founder of Shin-Aikido.

“I wonder what kind of memento Zhang Tianhe left on Qin Fen’s body when he died,” Hatoyama Kazuo slightly furrowed his short eyebrows, which were only two centimeters long. “Pei Chengjun is surely a man capable of great deeds. First, he arranged a duel with Qin Fen, and then he sent his disciples to fight first. If they win, naturally, that’s best; even if they lose… hmph hmph…”

Ji-Zhen Haotian gently nodded, his hands resting quietly on his knees. “Pei Chengjun synthesized the New Leap Fist style by integrating several martial arts, which includes the art of war from Zhongzhou. Doing this is hardly inexcusable.”

Hashimoto Yojiro’s eyes showed a hint of disdain: “Hardly inexcusable? Sending disciples first to wear down the opponent’s strength, and then fighting personally to defeat the opponent and promote his New Fist style—this type of person does not deserve to practice martial arts! He doesn't deserve to be a master!”

As Hashimoto Yojiro finished speaking, his palm, large and heavy like that of a giant spirit god, struck the ground with a heavy thud, causing the tatami mats to bounce repeatedly.

Ji-Zhen Haotian and Hatoyama Kazuo exchanged glances and offered helpless, wry smiles. Although they were all martial artists from Hezhou, Hashimoto Yojiro’s way of thinking was somewhat out of step with theirs.

In a rainforest in Thailand, a bald giant, two meters tall, stood silently watching a small, slowly flowing stream, his lean muscles bare on his upper body.

Two Muay Thai practitioners stood not far behind the giant, holding their breath… carefully watching the tattooed bald giant. This practitioner, named Sakat, was the one who had killed the founder of Neo-Muay Thai, the former King of Neo-Muay Thai, with his own hands six months ago, thus becoming the current King of Neo-Muay Thai.

After a long pause, Sakat spoke slowly, as if asking himself: “As a master, the greatest wish should be to be killed by the best disciple one has taught, rather than watching him be killed by someone else. Zhang Tianhe is dead; Pei Chengjun should be the one most heartbroken.”

“As a master, the greatest wish should be to be killed by the best disciple one has taught.” The two men behind Sakat shuddered again upon hearing Sakat’s words from the day he personally killed his own master, the former King of Neo-Muay Thai.

The current King of Muay Thai seemed to have some issues in his mind, but his ferocity compelled everyone practicing Neo-Muay Thai to admit that Sakat was the undisputed King of Neo-Muay Thai.

Heartbroken? Heartbroken!

In the main hall of the Hanzhou New Fist style headquarters, Pei Chengjun stood quietly before a glass coffin. He had stood there for a full day and night. During this time, he had neither eaten nor drunk nor spoken, merely gazing silently at the person lying in the coffin.

That was his most prized disciple, and after receiving the news of Cai Renying and Kim Ki-seok’s deaths from the Holy Martial Hall, he was Pei Chengjun’s last remaining hope—Zhang Tianhe, lying in the coffin, his body already shattered beyond recognition.

Since the creation of the New Fist style, Pei Chengjun had trained ten major disciples over the years. Only Zhang Tianhe had broken through to the Nirvana Great Mastery stage of the Change of Marrow and become a true fifteen-star martial artist, stepping into the ranks of Martial Arts Masters.

Pei Chengjun had no sons. Zhang Tianhe, the first disciple he took in, was regarded by him as his son, even more cherished than a biological son. His love lay with Cai Renying, but all his hope rested on Zhang Tianhe.

Originally, Pei Chengjun was counting on Cai Renying and Kim Ki-seok, who were training in the Holy Martial Hall, to also enter the Martial Arts Master ranks in the future.

He never imagined that within a short year, the two top disciples of the Holy Martial Hall were defeated, and his most talented disciple who had reached the Martial Arts Master realm—likely the future successor of the New Fist style—Zhang Tianhe, was also killed.

Dead, all dead.

Pei Chengjun stood motionless before the coffin. The efforts he had poured into cultivating the flourishing New Road Fist style over many years were rapidly collapsing and being destroyed over this past year.

All of this came from one rapidly rising young martial artist, Qin Fen!

Overnight, streaks of snow-white silver appeared mixed in with Pei Chengjun’s black hair. He suddenly looked ten years older.

No tears flowed. When a person’s grief reaches its extreme, they cannot even squeeze out tears.

Pei Chengjun’s posture, held all night, finally changed. He slowly raised his hand and placed it over his heart. It felt as if his heart had been hollowed out along with the death of his disciple.

He slowly raised his head. Endless sorrow flickered in his eyes. His somewhat dry lips parted, and a heartbreaking roar shot toward the heavens as if trying to tear his vocal cords apart.

“Ah! Ah ah! Ah ah ah ah…”

“Qin Fen!”

“The hatred for the killing of my disciple, the destruction of my wife, and the loss of my child! I, Pei Chengjun, will never coexist with you!”

The fifteen-star true qi erupted continuously. The stone slabs beneath his feet cracked and shattered one after another with continuous popping sounds. Even the glass coffin beside him cracked under the shockwave of sound.

The cracks instantly spread across the entire coffin, which finally shattered completely with a loud bang.

Pei Chengjun’s surge of true qi showed no sign of stopping. He reached the absolute limit of the fifteen-star peak. His New Fist style uniform billowed wildly in the torrent of true qi, flapping loudly.

Sixteen Stars! Pei Chengjun’s entire New Fist style uniform inflated like a filled balloon, swelling instantly as if about to burst.

The three great resentments—killing a disciple, losing a wife, and losing a child—propelled Pei Chengjun, breaking through the bottleneck of his years of star-level strength, to instantly reach the sixteen-star level!

Rage, hatred, killing intent! Pei Chengjun’s eyes were bloodshot and tearless. His true qi continued to climb uncontrollably. In the blink of an eye, his strength was no longer at the initial stage of sixteen stars.

“When a person’s emotions reach an extreme, a breakthrough is indeed possible, but such a thing might not happen to one in ten thousand people.”

What Asura had told Qin Fen and the others during their lesson was unintentionally proven true in Pei Chengjun’s case.

This was not some petty ‘Cosmic Burst’; it was the foundation of his martial arts over the years, mixed with extreme emotions, forcing out a burst of strength beyond instinct.

Bang bang bang. The floor acted like a conductor. As Pei Chengjun’s power reached its limit and broke through, it cracked repeatedly before exploding into fragments.

The eruption of power lasted for a full ten minutes. Pei Chengjun returned to his initial stillness. The entire main hall was devastated, looking as if a small, localized war had just taken place there.

Pei Chengjun walked out of the hall quietly, his entire body enveloped in a killing intent sharper than at any previous moment. Even looking at his silhouette from a distance would make the apprentices of the New Fist style feel as if their hearts had been instantly snatched away.

Pei Chengjun entered the small room he usually used for contemplation and sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, unmoving. He needed time to settle and consolidate, ensuring his body and spirit were in optimal condition for the duel with Qin Fen.

This breakthrough did not place Pei Chengjun in his best state. He needed to adapt to the changes of the sixteen-star level, and he needed to adjust his mind. Qin Fen killing Zhang Tianhe, though not physically harming Pei Chengjun, had delivered the fiercest blow to his spirit.

This spiritual blow, in some ways, was more brutal than any physical attack. If Pei Chengjun hadn't held onto his core belief—the commitment to reviving Hanzhou’s national martial arts—he would have already suffered massive spiritual cracks from the successive mental shocks, rendering him unable to unleash truly powerful strikes even with sixteen-star strength.

Pei Chengjun needed to mend his spiritual fissures and also understand the difference between the sixteen-star and fifteen-star levels.

Zhang Tianhe’s death rapidly drew the attention of many in the martial arts circles. Some who initially had no interest in watching the duel between Pei Chengjun and Qin Fen became intrigued following Zhang Tianhe’s demise.

The fact that someone under the age of twenty could kill a renowned Martial Arts Master of several years’ standing was something many people found fascinating.

“Qin Fen killed Zhang Tianhe?”

In Zhongzhou, within a vast, emerald-green mountain range, stood a few simple wooden cabins. Wisps of white mist circled the mountainside, lending an air of an earthly paradise.

Outside the wooden cabin, under towering trees, lay a reclining chair. Song Zhenting’s right hand, holding the information scroll, trembled slightly, and his pupils instantly shone with uncontainable brilliance.

More than half a year ago, Song Zhenting had taken Song Jia to watch the life-and-death battle between Qin Fen and the Little Hades. At that time, Qin Fen was merely a ten-star martial artist who had just completed the True Innate stage of marrow cleansing and rebirth.

“Completing the True Innate stage of marrow cleansing and rebirth at such a young age was already rare. To have completed the Nirvana Great Mastery stage of the Change of Marrow in less than a year…”

Song Zhenting clicked his tongue repeatedly and shook his head. In the martial path, among those whose strength rapidly increased, no one—except for the rumored Azure Dragon—had ever achieved such a feat.

“Dad.”

From the wooden house, Song Jia emerged, clad in a tight, purple martial arts uniform. Her long black hair was tied high at the back of her head, reaching down past her high-raised hips.

In over a year, Song Jia’s entire demeanor had changed slightly, and her strength had continuously climbed to the twelve-star level through rigorous practice.

Song Jia, the only daughter of the Qilin, possessed exceptionally superior aptitude for martial arts. She practiced techniques specially developed for her by the Earth Martial God, so rapid growth during her power surge period was not surprising.

The main reason her progress was slow before was that Song Jia’s growth cycle was nearly ten months behind Qin Ji’s, even though they were born in the same year.

When Qin Fen entered his power surge period, Song Jia had not yet entered her true explosive period. Once Song Jia entered her power surge period, Song Wendong arranged a long leave of absence for her from school, having her cultivate in the seclusion of the deep mountains.

From childhood, Song Jia had built an extraordinarily deep foundation under the personal tutelage of the Qilin. She was well-read, having studied records of duels between various martial arts masters, coupled with the Qilin’s loving guidance.

Song Zhenting looked at his daughter’s appearance with a tender fatherly smile. She was the pride of the Song family. According to his father, the family head, although Song Jia was a girl, she also held the potential to become a Divine Beast—a dual Divine Beast lineage in one family!

This was not only the hope of the Divine Beasts of other planets but also the aspiration of the Qilin, Song Wendong.

Song Zhenting felt a deep sense of self-reproach regarding the Qilin. Back then, he had strived desperately to cultivate for the expectations of the Earth Martial God, yet to this day, he was still unqualified to become a Divine level expert.

Perhaps, Song Zhenting shook his head slightly, he would never have the chance to become a Divine Beast in this lifetime. Because of this, the future husband of Song Jia became exceptionally important in Song Wendong’s eyes.

Looking at Song Jia, Song Zhenting felt a slight sting in his heart. He reached out and stroked his daughter’s black hair. To outsiders, being born into a Divine-level family seemed blissful, offering access to the highest martial arts. But who understood the sorrow of being born into a Divine Beast family?

As descendants of a Divine Beast, they were expected to work harder and be superior to everyone else; this was taken for granted! As descendants of a Divine Beast, they were even required to become true Divine Beasts!

Only those born as descendants of Divine Beast martial artists truly understood the immense pressure involved.

“Daughter, you’ve had it tough,” Song Zhenting stroked the head of Song Jia, who sat beside him as meekly as a kitten. “Do you want to go see it?”

Song Jia smiled sweetly, closing her eyes as if enjoying the petting like a kitten. “It doesn’t matter.”

Song Zhenting looked at his daughter with surprise. As a father, he knew perfectly well how much the daughter who practiced diligently every day longed to see Qin Fen, wanting to break free from the shackles of the family, or rather, the Qilin.

However, now that there was a legitimate opportunity to see Qin Fen, Song Jia’s answer puzzled Song Zhenting.

“Hehe,” Song Jia opened her eyes, which were now overflowing with smiles and happiness. “Because I will see him soon.”

“Soon?” Song Zhenting scrutinized his quirky daughter. “You aren’t planning to run away again, are you? Be careful, or your grandfather will spank you.”

Spanking. Upon hearing the words ‘spanked,’ a hint of embarrassment entered Song Jia’s smiling eyes. She had been spanked by her grandfather after secretly watching the New Recruit Competition. A grown woman being spanked was extremely humiliating.

Now, just hearing the words ‘spanked,’ Song Jia felt her cheeks flush.

“I’m not running away,” Song Jia lifted her head, her crimson cheeks glowing with proud assurance. “He said he’s coming to propose.”

“Coming to propose?” Song Zhenting’s right hand, which had just lifted his teacup, shook violently several times upon hearing this earth-shattering news.

What kind of news could make someone at Song Zhenting’s cultivation level tremble slightly?

“Coming to propose…”

Song Zhenting savored those four simple words, a faint smile appearing on his broad face. “This kid is truly audacious.”

Song Jia’s cheeks remained flushed with half-joyful smiles. Qin Fen coming to propose was far more audacious than merely being bold; it meant facing the Qilin, Song Wendong.

In this world, how many heaven-blessed geniuses and heroes, upon hearing the name Song Wendong, were immediately reduced to mere admiration, or perhaps simply cowed into submission.

Only three types of men would proactively come to propose marriage. The first type is a complete fool whose brain is utterly broken, having no concept of fear. The second type possesses a truly immense backing power, and whose brain is also not entirely clear, thinking that his family strength will grant him some face from the Qilin. The third type is a man of true mettle, one who dares to display his spirit even when facing the Earth Martial God, Song Wendong. This type is similar to the first but fundamentally different.

In Song Jia’s view, Qin Fen was mature beyond his years, sometimes even a little wooden, but definitely not brainless.

“Interesting,” Song Zhenting gently stroked his chin, feigning deep thought. “Should I call a doctor in advance? Or perhaps contact the funeral home now?”

“Dad!” Song Jia grabbed Song Zhenting’s arm and shook it back and forth. “What are you saying…”

“I haven't seen the duel between Qin Fen and Pei Chengjun yet, so I can’t make a definitive judgment,” Song Zhenting leaned back on the recliner and rocked gently. “But I know that even if Qin Fen defeats Pei Chengjun, he will likely suffer significant injuries. Even if he isn’t injured, so what? Girl, do you think the Qilin Gate is the same as the New Fist style? Forget the Constellation Generals; even my disciples…”

“Child,” Song Zhenting patted Song Jia’s head again. “You should know the vast difference between the Qilin Gate and a sect like the New Fist style. Of course, Pei Chengjun, who came from the Holy Martial Hall, hasn't let his martial arts slide over the years. Perhaps this immense grief can help him achieve another breakthrough.”

The news of Zhang Tianhe’s death continued to spread, quietly heightening the attention paid to the upcoming fight between Pei Chengjun and Qin Fen.

The time for the duel was drawing nearer. Qin Fen, as before, spent his days with a fishing rod by the sea, or taking strolls in the sun, occasionally keeping in touch with friends or listening to the concert recordings sent by the Gan Chao head band.

The two young girls’ careers in performance were expanding. The heavy metal music bursting from their small frames repeatedly stunned Qin Fen.

Music, like martial arts, possesses a soul. As the two girls ventured further down the musical path, Qin Fen found greater resonance in their latest compositions.

The most unexpected development for Qin Fen was the bio-beast gifted by Lin Liqiang. He had assumed the creature, called the "God-Demon Body," would remain dormant in its giant egg shape, but recently, the "God-Demon Body" had shown subtle signs of movement, as if something was about to hatch.

Bio-beasts usually followed a complete and clear set of instructions, a methodology adhered to by nearly all bio-engineers in the Federation.

However, Lin Liqiang preferred to be unconventional, giving Qin Fen a "growth-type" bio-beast that deliberately broke many of the inherent rules governing such creatures.

Consequently, Qin Fen was at a loss as to how to manage his bio-beast, because even Lin Liqiang, the creator of the God-Demon Body, didn't know how to develop or utilize this particular creature.

In Lin Liqiang’s own words: “You were enlisting at the time, and we were pressed for time. I didn't have time for deeper research. The only thing I know about this thing is that it will be incredibly fierce! In my opinion, it will become the Federation’s number one bio-beast! As for how to actually handle it, you’ll have to research that slowly yourself.”

“Research slowly.” Qin Fen could only smile wryly at his old friend’s almost irresponsible advice. As someone not specialized in bio-beasts, this was not something that could be researched at will; he didn’t even have a starting direction.

A familiar telephone ring interrupted Qin Fen’s contemplation. Lin Liqiang’s voice came from the other end of the line.

“Old Qin, I have both good news and bad news for you. Which one do you want to hear first?”

Qin Fen listened to the voice on the phone and let out a light chuckle. This was certainly interesting; the very person he was thinking of was calling him. He wondered if Old Brother Qing Long might also call to offer some encouragement.

“The good news.”

“The good news is that I’ve gotten back the Insect Warrior specimen you gave me, and after studying it for a few days, I’ve made some strange discoveries.”

Qin Fen’s eyebrows shot up, and he began to praise him repeatedly. Every field was just like the Martial Dao; breakthroughs were never easy, even for a genius in that domain. Lin Liqiang had requested the Insect Warrior specimen half a year ago and still held an obsession with it, clearly indicating he had hit a bottleneck. This Insect Warrior might help him unravel the mystery of the Mad Gun. As a friend, how could he not be happy for him?

“With my discovery, I also bring you the bad news,” Lin Liqiang’s voice suddenly became listless. “Do you remember the Little Pluto Hades I told you about?”

“I remember.”

“Yes, I have some rather unsettling news for you.” Lin Liqiang sighed repeatedly. “Although I haven’t delved deeply into this Insect Warrior specimen yet, I’ve discovered something very unfavorable. This thing possesses an incredibly potent ability to stimulate human potential. Bio-beasts have a similar ability, but this is different from them…”

“Ah! Why am I making this so complicated to explain to you?” Lin Liqiang slapped his forehead. “When I talk about my specialty, I sometimes get a bit lost. Let me put it simply: you need to be extremely cautious of Little Pluto Hades. This kind of Insect Warrior specimen seems to act like a virus; it can invade the human brain, making the host even more frenzied and irrational, turning them into mere war machines that only follow orders. At the same time, it can wildly stimulate the human body—I think it also has the effect you mentioned regarding ‘activity levels.’”

“If I had to specify the difference, it’s that its stimulation is absolutely explosive,” Lin Liqiang stared intently at the rapidly changing data on the screen. “The current data is very unstable. The user might self-detonate uncontrollably during the explosion and die, or they might survive. If they survive, it’s clearly a massive problem. Damn it! The person who designed this thing is an absolute madman! A complete lunatic! This thing could never have been designed perfectly. The person who conceived it carried a strong gambling desire.”

Lin Liqiang’s fingers flew across the virtual keyboard. “Alright, I won’t talk anymore. I need to keep researching. The reason I called this time is to warn you: if you encounter Little Pluto Hades again and find he’s still alive, you better be careful…”

“Madman? Instability?” Qin Fen’s mind conjured the image of Little Pluto Hades’ near-irrational rampage in the later stages of their battle.

Thump-thump, thump-thump…

Qin Fen felt a force within his body, like a human heart, suddenly beginning to beat. It was the egg of the Bio-God Demon Body. It started to pulse abruptly.

This pulsation was different from previous ones. It wasn’t just a simple heartbeat rhythm; within the throbbing of the God Demon Body’s egg, there was a faint hint of what felt like an emotion.

Challenge. Defiance! Qin Fen found it strange. He had never heard of a Bio-beast possessing any emotions. In the development of human society, Bio-beasts had always served as tools—purely combat implements or perhaps utility tools for daily life.

Even though Bio-beasts were life forms manufactured using human technology, they were ultimately just tools. They possessed a certain degree of vitality, but they were not truly alive, lacking souls or true consciousness—they were merely instruments of war.

The God Demon Body’s egg began to pulse with extreme suddenness. Faint threads, hundreds of times thinner than a strand of hair, instantly transformed into tens of thousands of thread-like structures made of energy. Like data streaming at high speed, they rapidly began to weave a peculiar network across every corner of Qin Fen’s body.

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