The simulated meridians’ advance did not cease, and Qin Fen felt that the points where these meridians connected to the body’s own network were merely utilizing the existing pathways as high-speed conduits.

The ultimate goal of these bio-mimetic meridians, surprisingly, seemed to be every single cell in the human body! The network extended from the simulated meridians like an intricate, thousand-threaded web. Feeling this ever-expanding network inside him, Qin Fen was deeply astonished—was this what a bio-beast fusion entailed?

Qin Fen had read some data on bio-beast fusions. According to existing records, the second-stage fusion involved a deeper intertwining of the human meridians and the bio-mimetic ones. Because the latter were not innate to the body, bio-beast fusion carried tremendous peril; it was not just a process of unbearable pain, but often one where life itself was at stake.

Qin Fen couldn't help but admire Lin Liqiang's genius regarding bio-beasts. This Divine-Demon Body, undergoing fusion, not only experienced not the slightest discomfort, but completely eradicated the life-or-death danger. Even more unexpected was the method of fusion.

While others’ bio-beast fusions involved the merging of simulated meridians with existing ones, the Divine-Demon Body was like a colossal, ancient tree with countless fine roots growing beneath it. These roots seemed to integrate perfectly with the cells, which were like the soil, allowing for the delivery of nourishment and the absorption of energy from the body’s cells.

Absorption, release.

In a mere instant, Qin Fen felt his Divine-Demon Body effortlessly complete the second-stage fusion—a process that others would dare only attempt after writing their last wills. The Divine-Demon Body and his physical form now operated in a rudimentary, specialized cycle of supply and absorption.

Qin Fen lightly clenched his fists, his true qi and physical strength commingling, stirring up surging energy.

Magical! Qin Fen had to marvel at the product of this age of high technology. The Divine-Demon Body, covering his entire form, seemed to automatically absorb energy from the sunlight, engaging in a unique form of replenishment.

Qin Fen considered calling Lin Liqiang again but then recalled that the man was deeply immersed in his research on Insect Warriors. He decided against disturbing him, resolving to continue exploring on his own, following the instructions given.

“What exactly is the Divine-Demon Body?” Qin Fen commanded the second-stage fused Divine-Demon Body within him. The newly unfurled bio-mimetic meridians flashed rapidly before retracting, finally coalescing into a unique energy mass at his waist.

Even after a second-stage fusion, bio-beasts remained invisible to external observation. Although Qin Fen’s Divine-Demon Body was strange, it still adhered to this most fundamental law.

He lowered his head to look at his waist. When he exerted maximum control to compress the Divine-Demon Body, he could vaguely discern a luminous sphere resembling an energy body.

This sphere was fascinating; from the outside, it actually appeared to be an Eastern Taiji Yin-Yang symbol. It was impossible to tell that this had anything to do with the Divine-Demon Body.

The alternating black and white energies churned ceaselessly. Qin Fen stared, marveling. It seemed Lin Liqiang had truly unleashed his wildest imagination when creating this thing. Even at the second stage of fusion, the bio-beast had not yet hatched. Having completed the second stage in this incomplete state, Qin Fen wondered what side effects it might have once fully manifested.

Qin Fen couldn't answer his own question. Facing the sea breeze, he directed the Divine-Demon Body to swiftly redeploy the simulated meridian network within him once more.

A massive wave surged in from the sea, instantly submerging the spot where Qin Fen had been standing. When the water receded, Qin Fen’s body was gone.

Walking out of the water, Ji Zhen Xuan Yi vigorously rubbed his eyes. Just moments before the seawater crashed against Qin Fen, less than a millimeter away, Qin Fen had still been standing there quietly.

Ji Zhen Xuan Yi knew Qin Fen’s strength; when a Martial Arts Master deployed his full power, his movement was truly as swift as lightning and as abrupt as rushing thunder.

Yet, Ji Zhen Xuan Yi rubbed his eyes again and moved to Qin Fen’s side. “Master, how did you just do that? Even if you were using the abilities of a Martial Arts Master, I’m confident I could at least perceive your movement. But just now, I felt as if you vanished into thin air.”

Qin Fen gently wiggled his toes, a look of pure joy mirroring his happiness. The movement technique, Golden Roc Descending Monkey, which he had created while diligently studying martial arts and developing the Divine Fist Dao at the Sacred Martial Hall, had originally been a compensatory technique born from insufficient foundation and power.

Today’s unexpected spontaneous activation of the bio-beast, combined with the sedimentation of recent experiences, meant that the movement technique he had long sought to create was now more than halfway complete.

“It’s called the Thunder Step,” Qin Fen said after a brief thought. “The movement techniques of the Divine Fist Dao are roughly divided into four layers. The first layer is the Golden Roc Descending Monkey I used before. The next step is the Thunder Step I am using now—it captures the meaning of being as sudden as a cracking thunderclap. The third and fourth layers are merely my projections; I’ve named them Lightning Step and Instantaneous Teleportation.”

“Thunder Step?” Ji Zhen Xuan Yi shook his head dismissively. “What you just did should be called the Lightning Step; I didn’t hear any thunderous sound.”

Qin Fen had just mastered the second layer of the Divine Fist Dao movement technique, the Thunder Step, and felt an urge to practice it. He asked Ji Zhen Xuan Yi, “What you saw was not the complete form of the Thunder Step. Do you want to see the real Thunder Step?”

Ji Zhen Xuan Yi nodded repeatedly. If the incomplete Thunder Step had such an effect, what state would the complete version achieve?

“I’ll show you!” As Qin Fen engaged the Thunder Step, the Divine Fist Dao advanced another step toward completion. A surge of heroic spirit filled him. With a loud cry, he explosively blasted the power outward from his toes! Without bending his knees or drawing back, he suddenly vanished from Ji Zhen Xuan Yi’s sight.

Simultaneously with his disappearance, a sound like cannon fire or a shattering thunderclap erupted where he had been standing, instantly deafening Ji Zhen Xuan Yi’s ears. This was immediately followed by a rapid series of popping sounds, the friction of clothing and air currents whipping around at high speeds!

Ji Zhen Xuan Yi felt the sandy ground beneath his feet vibrating and spinning rapidly, even though there was no wind, creating an intense grinding noise. Then, another explosive thunderclap sounded thirty meters away on the open ground!

Before this explosion even subsided, another thunderous sound erupted from the beach sixty meters to his side. Before he could turn his head, a sound of thunder cracked from yet another location.

In the blink of an eye, Ji Zhen Xuan Yi realized that the beach around him was filled with an endless, continuous chain of thunderous booms, each one influencing the others and creating more resonance. It was as if he were standing inside a vast cumulonimbus cloud, surrounded everywhere by the sharp crackle before a storm.

Thunder Step! Looking at the beach where Qin Fen was completely invisible, Ji Zhen Xuan Yi finally understood why this footwork was called the Thunder Step. Once deployed, it was not only as loud as thunder, but even more terrifyingly swift—truly like a clap of thunder, where one hears the sound but sees no form.

On the beach, the sound of thunder rolled, yet it barely stirred up much of the flying sand. The sound of large waves washing over the shore seemed exceptionally subdued amidst the din of the thunderclaps.

Ji Zhen Xuan Yi’s throat worked repeatedly. His own martial arts had progressed rapidly recently, and he had witnessed countless combat techniques on the aerial battle network, including exchanges between practitioners at the Ten-Star level and above. However, he had never witnessed martial technique with such an overwhelming display of momentum.

The thunder ceased, and Ji Zhen Xuan Yi felt the light dim as Qin Fen stood quietly before him.

“Th-this is the Thunder Step,” Qin Fen nodded repeatedly with immense satisfaction. The effect of the Thunder Step even surpassed his own estimations. After activating the Divine-Demon Body, he felt none of the burdensome fatigue that others experienced using bio-beasts; everything was natural and unrestrained. Aside from the significant increase in energy expenditure when applying force, which made extended combat impractical, there were no other adverse effects whatsoever.

“Thunder Step, Thunder Step…” Ji Zhen Xuan Yi mumbled the name of the technique he had witnessed repeatedly. In his mind, his anticipation grew for the great battle that many martial artists were focusing on in the near future.

Qin Fen gazed at the vast, surging ocean. He had spent these past days accumulating strength, but hadn't yet taken the time to fully immerse himself in the sea, to feel what the "Soul of the Ocean" was like, so akin yet so different from the Soul of the Desert.

Ji Zhen Xuan Yi slowly returned to his senses, standing beside Qin Fen, turning his gaze toward the deep, broad, and silent ocean. He listened to Qin Fen's soft murmur: “Soon. Time is almost up.” Hearing the excitement laced in Qin Fen’s low voice, Ji Zhen Xuan Yi’s own chest swelled with immense ambition. It was time! The day the Divine Fist Dao reached a new level was finally approaching.

Although he hadn't managed to push his strength to the Sixteenth Star level before the duel, Qin Fen was perfectly satisfied with his current state.

Even though both were Fifteen-Star level, following the journey through the Sahara Desert, Qin Fen’s martial realm had seen a significant leap. With the second-stage bio-beast fusion, the true combat power he could unleash after activating the Divine-Demon Body soared. Against a Sixteenth-Star opponent, as long as they didn't employ bio-beasts or similar enhancements, he was confident he could defeat them in a very short time—perhaps even managing to subdue them without taking their life.

Bae Sung-joon, the Martial God of Hanju and the founder of the New Weapon Fist Dao—would he really not possess a bio-beast? Qin Fen wasn't deluded enough to believe that Bae Sung-joon, the Hanju Martial God who held such a prestigious reputation in Hanju, would lack combat equipment like a bio-beast.

Bae Sung-joon had been a Martial Arts Master for many years. As he struggled along the difficult path of martial arts, Qin Fen strongly believed that the Hanju Martial God would have chosen other methods to enhance his combat strength.

There was no better way in this world to rapidly increase combat power than by using a bio-beast. It wasn't a lack of persistence in one's martial heart; if such a tool existed, why not use it?

Qin Fen never believed that using a bio-beast would impede his martial heart. Swords, spears, blades, and halberds were all external implements; if martial artists could use those weapons, why couldn't they use bio-beasts?

As a Martial Arts Master who had been famous for years, Qin Fen was certain that Bae Sung-joon would not cling to some inexplicable rigidity. The only question was the level of fusion his bio-beast had reached.

Second-stage fusion? Qin Fen shook his head, dismissing the thought. For someone of the Hanju Martial God's caliber, considering how long he had been famous, it was unlikely he would only be at the second stage. Third-stage fusion—he must have certainly completed that, perhaps even the final phase of the third stage, which wouldn't be strange.

Fourth-stage fusion? Qin Fen suddenly realized that the Federation had not released any information regarding the fourth-stage fusion to ordinary citizens; the official documentation only covered the third stage completely.

The third stage was also known as Deep Fusion. Once the second stage was complete, one could advance toward the third. Official documentation explicitly warned that third-stage fusion was extremely dangerous, with a success rate of only six percent for ordinary martial artists.

Theoretically, out of one hundred physically robust martial artists attempting Deep Fusion, only six would succeed. Failure could result in the body collapsing entirely due to the incompatibility and backlash between the bio-beast and the body—it wouldn't be surprising if they were reduced to a formless mass of flesh.

Deep Fusion was not something just anyone could attempt. Bio-beasts placed perverse demands on the physical conditioning of the host, enough to make a large number of martial artists shrink back in fear. This contributed to the fact that although Deep Fusion could boost the user’s physical functions by the cube of three, few dared to attempt it lightly. After all, even though a bio-beast didn't increase power by the cube of three, combat between martial artists wasn't judged solely by star level; that was merely a basic yardstick for measurement.

Combat prediction, reaction time, and various physiological states were all crucial factors.

After Qin Fen entered the ranks of Martial Arts Masters, he gained a clearer understanding of this third-stage Deep Fusion. For martial artists who had undergone the Blood Exchange Rebirth, there was essentially no danger in attempting a third-stage fusion; for those who had reached the Marrow Cleansing Nirvana, there was absolutely no risk.

That stated six percent success rate applied only to martial artists below the Nine-Star level.

Bae Sung-joon, being a Martial Arts Master of the current age, faced no difficulty with Deep Fusion. As for whether he had utilized his transcendent status in Hanju to access data on the fourth stage and attempt that fusion, no one knew.

Every Martial Arts Master preferred to keep their ultimate trump cards hidden, which is why duels between them were so rare.

That day, Zhang Tian-he had been too arrogant, not even activating his bio-beast. When he discovered Qin Fen’s formidable power, he didn't even get the chance to initiate his bio-beast before Qin Fen’s punch pierced his defense.

“Xuan Yi, take the day off today,” Qin Fen mused briefly. “You don't need to go into the sea these next few days. Stay near me. We are going to Mount Halla.”

Mount Halla is located on Jeju Island in Hanju, one of the three most famous mountains in Hanju, rising to an altitude of 1,950 meters and being the highest peak in South Hanju. Hanju people call it the high peak capable of grasping the galaxy…” At the summit lies the White Deer Lake, a crater five hundred meters in diameter, formed by a volcanic eruption tens of thousands of years ago, surrounded by over three hundred smaller volcanic cones.

The location Bae Sung-joon had chosen for the duel was the White Deer Lake atop that mountain Hanju people called capable of grasping the galaxy.

As time flowed by, the White Deer Lake had long since dried up. The barren basin, after some minor adjustments, had become Bae Sung-joon’s usual place for silent contemplation and one of the sacred sites in the hearts of the Hanju people.

Standing at the foot of the mountain and looking up at the nearly two-thousand-meter peak, Qin Fen smiled faintly. Under such a terrain, the mountain did indeed appear exceptionally lofty. However, having seen towering cliffs and massive ranges in Qinghai before, looking at this supposed peak that could “grasp the galaxy” failed to stir any genuine excitement within him.

Mount Halla was now under complete lockdown. Several Hanju police officers guarding the base of the mountain saw Qin Fen, and their expressions shifted slightly, their eyes radiating a sense of malice toward him and those around him.

Zhang Tian-he’s death might not have been widely known among ordinary citizens elsewhere, but in Hanju, almost everyone knew about it. Aside from the Hanju Martial God Bae Sung-joon, Zhang Tian-he was their second idol. His success in pioneering the New Weapon Fist Dao in Europe instilled a sense of national pride in all of Hanju.

Zhang Tian-he was now dead. The Hanju people didn't care about the reasons Qin Fen killed him; they cared about one thing: Qin Fen had killed their national darling.

Many civilians did not know what Qin Fen looked like, but the police guarding the mountain did. If they hadn't known that Bae Sung-joon was scheduled to fight Qin Fen soon, many of the officers would have been unable to resist engaging the safety locks on their firearms, willing to risk their careers just to shoot him down.

Qin Fen’s eyes flickered as he glanced at the surrounding officers. He keenly sensed that the air at the foot of the mountain was suddenly thick with resentment and faint sorrow.

These auras emanated from the police officers, both visible and hidden. Qin Fen could feel that these were not just personal feelings but emanations born of national sentiment. If he were to walk down a busy street in Hanju and shout, "I was the one who killed Zhang Tian-he!" the air on that lively street would likely freeze instantly, solidified by the auras of resentment and grief.

Qin Fen did not stop his pace but slowly stepped onto the first step of Mount Halla.

Pat.

The sound of his shoe sole meeting the stone step was crisp. At the same moment, Qin Fen closed his eyes. Mount Halla had been climbed by countless Hanju people over the years, ascending this highest peak of Hanju filled with happiness, pride, and myriad other emotions.

After countless years, Mount Halla seemed to have retained the emotions of those climbers—perhaps that was the mountain's own soul.

Qin Fen began to understand why Bae Sung-joon chose Mount Halla for the duel; it was not an irrelevant home-field advantage.

For Bae Sung-joon, Mount Halla was the perfect home ground! Here, theoretically, he could manifest one hundred and twenty percent of his strength.

Qin Fen slowly ascended the peak. His pace remained unhurried, and his eyes had not reopened since he entered the grounds of Mount Halla.

It took Qin Fen a full six hours to climb Mount Halla—an astonishing time for someone who had reached the level of Martial Arts Master; even an ordinary person wouldn't require that long.

The White Deer Lake had been polished smooth like a mirror. There wasn't a single chair placed there, not even one carved from stone.

Hanju Martial God Bae Sung-joon stood in the center of the White Deer Lake, dressed in a white, newly created Quan Dao robe, a black belt embroidered with gold thread cinched at his waist.

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