The founder of the New Leap Fist Style, Martial God Bae Sung-joon of Hanju, was defeated... This defeat meant death, not a serious injury followed by the clichéd scene of mutual respect, a handshake, and a newfound friendship. Someone was definitely going to die in this fight! Most of the martial artists watching clearly understood that only one person involved in today's duel at Baeknok Reservoir would walk down Mount Halla alive. The peak of Mount Halla was slowly collapsing; the life atop the great mountain seemed to die away with the fall of Martial God Bae Sung-joon. The mountain's collapse felt as if it were leaving this world alongside Bae Sung-joon. In the sky above, several young martial artists who hadn't been knocked unconscious by the blast watched in utter shock as the summit of Mount Halla began to crumble. This was the raw power displayed by martial artists above the Fifteen-Star level; even Mount Halla, which had stood for a thousand years, could not withstand such a ferocious impact. Beyond shock, the young martial artists felt mostly confusion. In their estimation, a duel between two grandmasters atop Mount Halla should have involved thousands of moves, lasting three days and three nights, shaking the heavens and the earth, obscuring the sun and moon, and changing the color of the rivers, culminating in the final unleashing of an ultimate technique to defeat the opponent. This entire affair was decided in a single move. The young martial artists struggled to comprehend: Was this truly a battle between martial arts masters? The exchange of single moves moments ago, apart from some overwhelming aura, seemed unremarkable.

The martial arts masters from around the world, suspended in the air, all wore grim expressions. Unlike the immature younger generation, those who were masters understood that fighting was not street performance. It wasn't about one person declaring "White Crane Spreads Wings" while the other countered with "Black Tiger Steals the Heart," only to have one side finally unleash their latent power with a shout, defeating the other. Settling a life-or-death score wasn't child's play. No idiot would start with sixty percent power, then move to eighty, and finally use one hundred or one hundred and twenty percent. A life-or-death battle was about unleashing the strongest power, at the fastest speed, with the surest killing blow in the shortest time possible. If, under such circumstances, someone first used sixty percent power, or performed moves like "White Crane Spreads Wings" and "Black Tiger Steals the Heart," they simply wouldn't live to see that point. Sometimes, a single punch is enough to decide victory or death between masters. Martial arts masters weren't masters of performance; their pursuit wasn't flamboyant techniques but the most effective results. Sometimes, watching a master fight was less impressive than watching a battle between those around the Ten-Star level.

Song Zhenting's eyes, locked on Qin Fen, flickered with surprise repeatedly, while his heart secretly praised: This young man constantly astonishes me every time we meet. That punch had clearly been the peak of his technique, yet within that peak, he had broken through again, forcibly integrating and releasing a fierce, scorching gale. The feeling of that punch felt like a sandstorm—vast, powerful, cold, and ruthless! Nodding, Song Zhenting summarized the battle’s events. Bae Sung-joon had also exerted his absolute limit. He had cast aside all the honor and dignity of a Martial Arts Master, even risking his life, just to kill Qin Fen. That strike, Taibai—even to Song Zhenting’s eyes—was flawless. It didn't just integrate thousands of years of Hanju history, nor did it only merge his brilliant life as a martial artist. That punch! It had even drawn upon the mountain spirit of Jeju Island! The spirit of Mount Halla, which had stood sentinel over Jeju Island for millennia, was now fused into Bae Sung-joon's being. That was the critical reason why he chose Mount Halla in Hanju as the location for the duel. Bae Sung-joon was determined to win this fight! The moment the strike was launched, Song Zhenting felt that Bae Sung-joon had truly extracted the mountain spirit from Halla, blending it into his Taibai Fist Style, which was imprinted with the mark of a thousand years of Hanju history. It was a perfect punch! Song Zhenting firmly believed that if Bae Sung-joon had survived this fight, his martial arts path, which had stagnated for years, would have been reignited by this contest, potentially allowing him to advance from Martial Arts Master to the realm of Martial Arts Grandmaster.

“What a pity,” Song Zhenting sighed mournfully, gazing at the fallen Bae Sung-joon. “If you had survived, your martial arts certainly could have advanced further. Unfortunately, you ran into one of the three most rapidly rising stars of the younger generation. Your defeat was not undeserved.”

In the helicopter, Di Shitian’s eternally expressionless face broke into an excited smile. Although Qin Fen had already entered the Fifteen-Star realm and crossed into the domain of Martial Arts Master, few in the true martial world acknowledged him as one—or rather, almost none. The simplest way to be recognized as a true Martial Arts Master was to defeat an existing one. When Zhang Tianhe was killed, Qin Fen was officially accepted by the martial world as a true Master. Today, Qin Fen had defeated Bae Sung-joon, the founder of a martial art lineage. In the years to come, his fame in the martial world would surely spread. Even his master, Di Shitian, felt a sense of pride. In this age, being the disciple of a Divine Beast didn't guarantee entry into the ranks of Martial Arts Masters, nor had any figure ever had a disciple under the age of twenty achieve the Master level. Di Shitian was immensely proud to have two Martial Arts Masters as disciples who were both under twenty! This record might remain unbroken for a very, very long time.

The other onlookers experienced a spectrum of emotions. Some were amazed by the formidable strength of Qin Fen’s martial arts; others watched the rising talent with admiration. Jikijin Haotian floated silently in the air, his expression differing from the others. Beyond shock, his brow held another complex emotion. "A Martial Arts Master under twenty years old..." Jikijin Haotian’s eye twitched violently as he repeatedly gasped in disbelief. "His martial arts must have something wrong! Something must be wrong!" Jikijin Haotian’s gaze slowly shifted, eventually settling entirely on Jikijin Xuan-yi, who sat half-crouched in the rubble, spitting blood. Jikijin Haotian, as the disciple of the former founder of Kyokushin Karate, understood him deeply. Never mind his current breakthrough to the True Innate Ten-Star level via blood exchange—which was incredible—even if he only possessed Eight-Star strength today, it would still be unbelievable. This young man, whose natural aptitude was merely decent and certainly not genius level, was demonstrating strength far exceeding many of today's most outstanding young talents. The hurdle of "Blood Exchange Rebirth into True Innate," a level that could turn countless talented martial artists white overnight, seemed nonexistent for Jikijin Xuan-yi.

Jikijin Haotian was forced to suspect that Qin Fen's current formidable strength, beyond diligent practice, hard work, and good luck, hinged on one crucial element: his martial arts! His internal cultivation! Even a novice approaching the martial world knew that, under normal circumstances, if two individuals with identical aptitudes practiced, one cultivating a peerless internal art and the other a common one, the practitioner of the superior art would invariably become much stronger after a period of time. Internal cultivation! While many internal arts currently existed in the Federation, this did not mean that internal cultivation had reached its zenith. Martial Arts Masters, with their deeper understanding of the Way, generally believed that martial internal cultivation could be developed to be even stronger—but how? That was the question! Its development required not only a profound martial foundation but also heaven-defying luck. Jikijin Haotian preferred to believe Qin Fen’s luck was truly heaven-defying, that he had accidentally created a peerless internal art, one that might even make crossing the threshold of "Blood Exchange Rebirth into True Innate" surprisingly easy.

An internal art capable of facilitating the Blood Exchange Rebirth into True Innate was not overwhelmingly attractive to an established Martial Arts Master, but if he could study it, grasp its principles, and borrow from it, there was significant potential. Jikijin Haotian considered that, purely in terms of martial foundation, he, a long-established founder of a lineage, was far deeper than Qin Fen. If such an internal art truly existed, he would have far more opportunities for innovation in his hands. To obtain Qin Fen's martial arts! Jikijin Haotian secretly glanced at Qin Fen, and the flames of desire in his heart immediately subsided somewhat. Qin Fen's vast, heaven-shaking punch momentum alone was enough to make him wary. Give up? Jikijin Haotian’s eyes filled with unwillingness. The longer one remained a Martial Arts Master, the lower the possibility of future breakthroughs, and this would cause the martial heart to lose its former tranquility.

“I cannot give up,” Jikijin Haotian clenched his fists violently. This was the best opportunity and provided the best excuse to break through the Martial Arts Master realm! If he missed this chance, Jikijin Haotian felt he might never encounter another like it in his life. “That’s right!” Jikijin Haotian’s mindset returned to peace as he told himself: This is the best opportunity. Qin Fen just fought the Martial God of Hanju, Bae Sung-joon. No observer here would believe he emerged completely unscathed. Bae Sung-joon was dead, but that didn't mean he died in vain. Challenging the powerful Bae Sung-joon at a higher level, even achieving victory, must have depleted Qin Fen's true energy significantly, and some internal injuries were to be expected. "He just killed Bae Sung-joon; he must need time to rest. This is the best time." Jikijin Haotian rapidly assessed the situation, took a deep breath into his lungs, and floated out from the crowd, suspending himself above the slowly collapsing summit of Mount Halla, looking down at Qin Fen. He cupped his hands in a bow: "Master Qin, congratulations on winning the final victory of this duel."

The surrounding martial artists cast peculiar glances at Jikijin Haotian. Although Qin Fen’s victory was certainly cause for celebration, he had defeated an elder generation's Martial Arts Master. Many felt a sense of shared sorrow (like the rabbit dying, the fox grieves) and, despite acknowledging Qin Fen, were hesitant to offer such congratulations.

“Master?” Qin Fen looked up, a faint smile playing on his lips. He gently returned the bow. This was the first time someone had addressed him this way; the title brought a sense of novelty. With the title of Martial Arts Master, Qin Fen felt more confident and spirited about going to the Song family to propose marriage.

Jikijin Haotian slowly exhaled the air he had inhaled, his gaze growing heavy. He said, “Master Qin, I have a matter I do not understand. Could you enlighten me?” Qin Fen frowned slightly, feeling an instinctive discomfort, sensing that Jikijin Haotian was about to say something detrimental. He merely nodded his head without responding immediately.

Jikijin Haotian slowly tilted his head back, addressing all the spectators suspended in the air: “Although we have entered the era of space technology, and many things are evolving rapidly, some rules have never changed—they are the etiquette we have always followed: reverence for one’s teacher.” The suspended martial artists nodded in agreement. Hatoyama Kazuo, the founder of Shin Aikido, saw Jikijin Xuan-yi sitting amidst the stones in the distance and nodded repeatedly, echoing, “The hierarchy of human relationships must not be disrupted; this is the etiquette that we martial artists must observe.” Hashimotoyojiro, the new sumo master also floating high above, saw Jikijin Haotian and Hatoyama Kazuo’s expressions, revealing scorn and disdain. A cold scoff escaped his nostrils. Although he belonged to the same lineage of Master-level martial artists from Hanju, Hashimotoyojiro held some of these two men’s methods in contempt. Furthermore, he deeply admired the overwhelming punch Qin Fen had just unleashed. Hashimotoyojiro always believed that only a truly upright man with an open heart could deliver such a punch! Despite belonging to different eras of martial arts masters, Hashimotoyojiro strongly desired to seek out Qin Fen after the battle to discuss their insights and understanding of martial arts. A friend! After watching Qin Fen fight, Hashimotoyojiro felt an instinctive, strange connection—that this much younger man could be his friend.

Jikijin Haotian received Hatoyama Kazuo’s support and inwardly praised the colleague's cunning. He bowed again politely to Qin Fen: “Master Qin, since the current martial world still values honoring one's teacher, then those who betray their lineage should also receive appropriate punishment, should they not?” Qin Fen’s eyelids lifted slightly, his peripheral vision sweeping toward Jikijin Xuan-yi nearby. He instantly understood everything. This Jikijin Haotian of the Kyokushin Ryu style was finally revealing the true fangs hidden in his words!

“Interesting,” a faint, cold smile touched Qin Fen’s lips. He felt genuine admiration for Jikijin Haotian’s timing. This moment was perfectly seized! This excuse was perfectly crafted! Jikijin Haotian, as Jikijin Xuan-yi's master, understood his situation best and would naturally be quicker than others to suspect the internal cultivation method. This move was brilliant! Qin Fen had to give a thumbs-up to Jikijin Haotian’s timing. Most observers here, no matter who had fought Bae Sung-joon, wouldn't dare claim they suffered no losses. The Masters who attended possessed respectable skill levels; a victory between any two would have been normal. But if someone fought all-out first, and then a fresh challenger emerged to fight the victor, the challenger’s win rate would be incredibly high.

Hearing this, although most spectators couldn't grasp Jikijin Haotian's ultimate goal, they could guess his intent: calculating that Qin Fen, weakened after the fierce battle, wouldn't be able to fight, Jikijin Haotian was doing things he normally wouldn't dare. Despicable? That was subjective; perspectives differed. Whether despicable or clever, Jikijin Haotian was resolved today to use the excuse of cleaning up his house to take Jikijin Xuan-yi back to Hoju, extract everything he knew in the shortest time, and then retreat to study everything in seclusion. When he emerged again, he would no longer fear a recovered Qin Fen. If possible, Jikijin Haotian wouldn't mind killing Qin Fen afterward, turning this martial secret into his own exclusively possessed secret.

“Jikijin Xuan-yi!” Jikijin Haotian’s voice suddenly deepened. He pointed his right index finger into the air, directly at Jikijin Xuan-yi sitting on the ground. “This man is an entry-level disciple of my Kyokushin Ryu style, yet he betrayed his master to join Master Qin’s lineage. This is a great insult to my Jikijin Ryu! Regarding such an act of abandoning one’s master and lineage, I wish to personally clean up my house. I ask Master Qin to grant me this face; I will surely repay you handsomely in the future.”

Many watching martial artists were momentarily stunned. Although the request held an element of taking advantage of misfortune, from Jikijin Haotian's perspective, it was reasonably justifiable. Cleaning up one’s own house was not inherently wrong.

Jikijin Xuan-yi, seated on the ground, sneered bitterly. He recalled taking out a fortune to apprentice under Jikijin Haotian to learn martial arts, only to be swindled out of his money without proper martial instruction due to his aptitude not being deemed the absolute best. The impact from the clash between the two giants earlier had been too severe; Jikijin Xuan-yi, unprotected on the ground, had suffered the greatest harm. If he hadn't undergone the Blood Exchange Rebirth into True Innate, death wouldn't have been impossible. Even without dying, the immense shock severely injured him, leaving him temporarily incapable of speech.

“Clean up your house?” Qin Fen stood with his hands behind his back, tilted his head up, and spoke languidly, “Xuan-yi is now the foremost disciple of my Shenquan Dao. If you clean up your house for the sake of your face, are you sacrificing my face?” Face? Is it really about face? Jikijin Haotian was smiling, and Qin Fen was smiling too; this wasn't about mere courtesy, there were deeper layers hidden beneath.

Jikijin Haotian politely bowed to Qin Fen again and stated, “Master Qin, I know this puts you in a difficult position, but when you accepted Jikijin Xuan-yi, the traitor, didn't you consider the greater loss of face for my Jikijin Ryu? Please grant me this convenience! You just fought a massive battle; I do not wish to gain the reputation of taking advantage of misfortune by challenging you now. However, since I have encountered this traitor today, if I cannot settle my own affairs, I ask for your forgiveness!” Song Zhenting, standing nearby, sneered repeatedly. Jikijin Haotian was now issuing a blatant threat: if Qin Fen didn't hand over the disciple, he would fight! How could Qin Fen challenge Jikijin Haotian after exhausting himself against Bae Sung-joon?

Hoo. Song Zhenting slowly let out a breath and prepared to move his suspended body. At that instant, Qin Fen laughed. He slowly released his hands clasped behind his back, lifted one leg, and walked onto the rugged terrain of the mountaintop. He spoke calmly, “Taking advantage of misfortune? Taking advantage of misfortune? Heh heh heh...” Qin Fen suddenly stopped his steps, thrust his chest out abruptly, raised his head, and pointed his right arm toward the sky: “At a moment like this, you ask me for my disciple, talking about cleaning your house? What were you doing before? Why didn’t you ask me for the man before I engaged Bae Sung-joon? Taking advantage of misfortune? That’s fine, there’s no issue! I will give you the opportunity to take advantage of my condition! If you want your disciple back and wish to clean house, come down and fight me! If you win, you can take the man!”