Tianmen. The name was not entirely unfamiliar to Qin Fen. No Divine Beast-level martial artists had yet emerged on Saturn, and any ambitious martial artists or factions had almost universally chosen to enter Saturn or Venus to contend for the chance to become the absolute hegemon.

Even before the White Tiger’s demise on Venus, Saturn had gradually become a battleground for two major powers.

One faction was called Tianmen, and the other was known as Difu.

Legend held that while Tianmen on Saturn could not contend with the true Divine Beast factions or the Saint Martial Hall, it was still an organization teeming with elite masters and formidable generals, positioning it as one of the factions most likely to eventually seize a Divine Beast.

It was only upon hearing Hashimoto Yojiro’s gasp that Qin Fen realized the plaque in his hand was a symbol of Tianmen identity. This deepened his confusion: "How could Tianmen from Saturn appear on Earth?"

Qin Fen knew little about Tianmen, but his knowledge of the Divine Beasts grew with time. Every planet was the domain of a Divine Beast, and these beings possessed not only overwhelming martial power and vast influence but also an intensely strong sense of territoriality. If any other large faction entered a Divine Beast’s territory, it implied a direct challenge to that Divine Beast.

"It's not strange that Tianmen is on Earth," Hashimoto Hichijiro said, the astonishment fading from his face. "I suspect that the Mi Que faction on Mars, the Xuanwu faction on Mercury, and the Qing Long faction on Jupiter all have Tianmen elements within them. Not just Tianmen; Difu’s forces likely exist across these several planets as well."

Qin Fen found this hard to grasp—that these Divine Beast martial artists, with their fierce territorial instincts, would allow the two major powers from Saturn to infiltrate their domains.

"It is indeed strange; I don't understand why either," Hashimoto Yojiro admitted, confusion clouding his features. "I only know that the Divine Beasts permit factions competing for Divine Beast status to temporarily expand their influence into their territories. When a new Divine Beast is born, it will consolidate all forces rooted on other planets and cease encroaching upon other Divine Beast territories. The rumor is that only Jupiter’s Azure Dragon never extended its influence to other planets, establishing his Azure Dragon faction directly."

Qin Fen nodded slightly, silently trying to fathom the Divine Beasts' thinking. Perhaps it was because planets without a Divine Beast suffered from much poorer economic and other conditions. Without absorbing resources from other planets, they couldn't sustain their massive quasi-Divine Beast retinues. This might be why they allowed these Divine Beast-contending factions a certain degree of entry into their lands.

The larger the power, the greater the need for resources! Having started from the very bottom, Qin Fen understood well that any organization was composed of people who needed food, clothing, and shelter. High-level martial artists required medicinal elixirs as supplements—all of which required money. Given this necessity, the emergence of local strongmen controlling entire buildings for profit didn't seem too outlandish to Qin Fen.

"Master, it is done," Jizhen Xuan-ichi calmly reappeared before Qin Fen. The open space behind him was littered with martial artists of every conceivable posture. "Only Manager Liu is dead; the others are merely injured and hospitalized."

"Dead?" Hashimoto Yojiro’s face grew rigid again. "Brother Qin, I fear you have stirred up serious trouble this time."

"Is that so? How much trouble?" Qin Fen raised an eyebrow slightly. This matter was clearly Tianmen's fault; even if they killed one of their men, they had little ground to complain. As long as the principle was sound, Qin Fen had managed to deflect Song Wenzhou’s challenge from the Kirin's arranged marriage proposal in an unconventional way.

"Very big trouble, much, much bigger than with Pei Chengjun or Jizhen Haotian," Hashimoto Chijiro stated gravely, staring intently at the token in Qin Fen’s hand. "This plaque probably didn't belong to this man, Liu Wenjun. Look at the characters engraved beneath the main inscription: Dì Xiān (Earth Immortal). This signifies a master of the Immortal tier within Tianmen, definitely not a plaque attainable by some mere Ten-Star martial artist."

Seeing Hashimoto Yojiro’s expression, Qin Fen’s interest in Tianmen’s structure grew even sharper. Ever since he heard in the Saint Martial Hall how Shangguan Chuanqi had stormed Saturn to begin the path of Divine Beast contention, the desire to become a Divine Beast martial artist had ignited within him.

After leaving the Saint Martial Hall, Qin Fen’s initial plan was to go to the Song family to propose marriage. Successfully marrying Song Jia was not the main point; the real goal was to demonstrate his mettle to the Kirin. A man lacking spirit, in Qin Fen’s view, would never catch the eye of the aloof Kirin Song Wenzhou, no matter how much of a Martial Arts Master he was.

Following the proposal, if possible, he intended to enter Saturn through the military, embarking on the path of Divine Beast contention taken by Shangguan Chuanqi and all previous powerhouses.

Divine Beast! The supreme glory of a martial artist. Qin Fen did not wish to wait for the Heroes' Assembly to gain the title of Divine Beast martial artist. Divine Beast! Qin Fen believed that with the title of Divine Beast martial artist, he could legitimately step onto Jupiter and see if the mysterious Azure Dragon was indeed his prodigiously gifted older brother, Qin Zhan, as rumored. If the military refused him entry to Saturn at that time, Qin Fen was already prepared to apply for early retirement, form a mercenary group as his initial core force, and venture into the struggle for Saturn’s Divine Beast by other means.

Hashimoto Yojiro observed the flicker of excitement in Qin Fen’s eyes and sighed softly. "Perhaps I am old, or perhaps it is the vibrant energy of youth. But Tianmen is truly more complex and vast than you imagine. The Jade Emperor, the foremost master within Tianmen, has the Tathagata, Guanyin, Sun Wukong, and Erlang Shen as his subordinates—all top-tier Martial Arts Masters or even Martial Arts Grandmasters. Internally, they are referred to as Da Luo Jinxian (Great Overarching Golden Immortals). Following them, the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave are all Celestial Immortal masters at the Martial Arts Master level. These individuals usually remain on Saturn and rarely venture out."

Listening to Hashimoto Chijiro’s account, Qin Fen’s perception of Shangguan Chuanqi rose even higher. To strive for the Divine Beast title under such a formidable organization as Tianmen required not just courage and boldness, but also sufficient strength and potential.

"I am not entirely clear on how strong the martial artists known as Celestial Immortals in Tianmen are, as I have never truly fought them," Hashimoto Yojiro’s frown deepened again. "But... I heard that Jizhen Haotian once crossed paths with a martial artist in Tianmen referred to as an Earth Immortal."

"Jizhen Haotian?" Qin Fen recalled his opponent from the Mount Halla battle. Although the man’s character was despicable, his strength was undeniable. Even though he was now dead by Qin Fen’s hand, he had to admit his power—that was a genuine Martial Arts Master, without a trace of pretense.

"Yes, Jizhen Haotian." Hashimoto Yojiro clicked his tongue. "It was a secret engagement. Jizhen Haotian recounted that Tianmen wished to invite him to join. At the time, Jizhen Haotian had only recently become a Martial Arts Master, full of soaring ambition. Upon meeting a Tianmen martial artist who was also a Martial Arts Master, he naturally proposed a spar to gauge if Tianmen was qualified to recruit him."

Manager He, overhearing the conversation between the two, grew increasingly astonished. This young man, who looked to be around twenty, appeared to be a Martial Arts Master as well! A Martial Arts Master around the age of twenty? Manager He swallowed repeatedly, finally understanding why he had been so nonchalant about letting his subordinates beat up the local strongmen who provoked him.

Martial Arts Master! That meant the ability to fly! Although it was long known in modern society that immortals and monsters did not exist, the ability to fly solely through one's own power still commanded immense reverence. To most martial artists, an ancient martial artist who could soar into the sky was no different from the deities of legend.

Martial Arts Masters, in a sense, were subject to far less restraint from Federal law. As long as they didn't commit acts that incited universal hatred, the Federation mostly sought to enlist their cooperation rather than take extreme action against them. Manager He never expected to be in such close proximity to a Martial Arts Master. After the initial shock, he felt a surge of smug satisfaction. Martial Arts Masters were not the kind to adhere to the Confucian ideal of "take a step back for peace." These local strongmen had just dismantled the furniture in a Martial Arts Master's new home; they were surely heading for disaster.

"Half a year," Hashimoto Yojiro shook his head slowly, clicking his tongue repeatedly. "Jizhen Haotian said that was the most crushing defeat of his career. He took half a year to recover, while the opponent left completely unharmed. Of course, that defeat is now only his second most devastating record."

Both were Martial Arts Masters, yet one was severely injured while the other left unscathed. Qin Fen clearly understood what this implied: there was still a significant gap in their strength. If the Earth Immortal tier masters in Tianmen possessed such power, how formidable must the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave and the Tathagata and Guanyin be? Qin Fen admired Shangguan Chuanqi even more; to challenge such a massive and powerful array of martial artists for the Divine Beast title required a boldness worthy of widespread praise.

Hashimoto Yojiro flipped the plaque over and noticed two other characters on the corner of the Tianmen token. His serious expression abruptly changed again, and he exclaimed, "It's him?"

Qin Fen’s curiosity was further piqued by Hashimoto Yojiro’s reaction. Eliciting such a grave look from this new Sumo martial artist, whose strength was comparable to Jizhen Haotian's, was clearly no easy feat.

"Wang Xiao," Hashimoto Yojiro’s eyes glazed over in memory. "The first time I heard his name was from Jizhen Haotian’s mouth. This was the man who severely injured Jizhen Haotian, calling him an unqualified practitioner of the Chrysanthemum Fist—a 'flowery fist' expert who retreated unharmed."

Flowery Fist? Qin Fen recalled the scene just moments ago when Liu Wenjun attacked: a single step sent dust transforming into a thousand blossoming petals, and crossed arms bloomed like a flower.

Chrysanthemum. A unique flower that blooms amidst the cold after all other blossoms have withered in autumn. Qin Fen had sensed a flavor of indomitable will in Liu Wenjun's strikes, but unfortunately, he only possessed the arrogance and brute force of a local strongman, lacking the true, proud defiance of the chrysanthemum facing the autumn frost.

"Ever since Jizhen Haotian mentioned Wang Xiao, I have been diligently inquiring about him," Hashimoto Yojiro stated earnestly. "Wang Xiao’s Chrysanthemum Fist technique was not self-created. He claimed to have found a stone tablet outside the ruins of Atlantis, which contained the record of the Chrysanthemum Fist. Most martial arts from the Atlantis ruins are unsigned, but this one bore a signature. According to his decoding, the name signed was Zeng Yicheng..."

Zeng Yicheng? Qin Fen’s eyes, previously narrowed in thought, suddenly lit up. That name was far too familiar. In the dream-space, he periodically encountered that master of vulgar martial arts, the King of Sleaze, whose name was also Zeng Yicheng.

Thinking of Zeng Yicheng, Qin Fen narrowed his eyes into slits, contemplating the Chrysanthemum Fist he had just witnessed, and a strange smile slowly spread across his face.

In that instant, Qin Fen was almost certain that the Chrysanthemum Fist was indeed created by the King of Sleaze in the dream space, Zeng Yicheng. Furthermore, he became even more certain that Liu Wenjun had practiced this technique completely wrong. Although he hadn't met Wang Xiao, Qin Fen understood that the Martial Arts Master’s execution of the Chrysanthemum Fist had clearly veered in the wrong direction. This technique wasn't about the proud elegance of the autumn flower; instead, if used in reverse, it channeled Zeng Yicheng’s utterly sleazy martial path...

Qin Fen silently simulated the martial techniques Liu Wenjun had just used, drawing upon his vast martial knowledge and his understanding of Zeng Yicheng, striving to deduce the full scope and true essence of this technique.

"Heh heh heh..." Qin Fen laughed harder and harder. This Chrysanthemum Fist was clearly a top-tier martial art. It was Wang Xiao’s fortune—and misfortune—to have obtained the record of the Chrysanthemum Fist. Zeng Yicheng’s technique was never about the elegant, frost-defying beauty of the blooming flower; on the contrary, the name and the core of this technique reeked of unparalleled vulgarity. Wang Xiao had completely reversed this peerless divine art!

Qin Fen felt a measure of admiration for this Wang Xiao, whom he had never met. To reach the level of Martial Arts Master while practicing Zeng Yicheng's supremely vulgar divine art backward—one couldn't tell if it was luck or tragedy.

Hashimoto Chijiro looked at Qin Fen, perplexed this time. "Brother Qin, what are you laughing about? That smile... it looks a little sleazy..."

Qin Fen snapped out of his reverie. His simulation of the vulgar Chrysanthemum Fist had unconsciously pulled him into Zeng Yicheng’s martial mindset, even infecting his smile with the power of that style.

"Wang Xiao probably practiced it incorrectly," Qin Fen said, his smile tinged with quiet confidence.

"Practiced it wrong?" Hashimoto Chijiro shook his head repeatedly. "Impossible. Although the spirit in that young man's fist didn't convey the true meaning of the Chrysanthemum Fist, the Martial Arts Master Wang Xiao would surely have grasped the flavor of proud elegance."

Qin Fen smiled again. "Even if he executed the proud elegance perfectly, it would still be incorrect."

"Incorrect? You say my practice is wrong?"

A magnetic-levitation vehicle descended slowly from above, and the lofty voice of Ao Ling echoed from within, projecting an overwhelming sense of pressure from the sky.

"Wang Xiao?"

Qin Fen didn't look up as he asked the question, his tone betraying no surprise at the arrival. The moment he had touched the plaque, he knew that this seemingly pure metal token contained specialized tracking and eavesdropping devices.