The apex martial artists of the Divine Beasts are unparalleled in the world. Their differing temperaments led to significant variations in their chosen environments. Qin Fen stood at the foot of Qilin Mountain, gazing up at the peak that soared thousands of meters high, its slopes blanketed by dense, lush foliage.

This was the domain of Song Wendong, the Qilin; the federation had long forgotten the mountain's previous name, now simply calling it Qilin Mountain. Unlike the White Tiger on Venus, who named his residence White Tiger City, establishing it as the political and economic center of the planet, and whose dwelling on Venus was called Sacred Tiger City—where everything belonged to him—Song Wendong chose not to construct a massive city for himself on Earth. He settled upon a mountain, naming it Qilin Mountain, and every person in the federation knew that this Earthly God of War resided at its very summit.

"Qilin Mountain, Qilin Mountain…" Qin Fen murmured the name softly. The mountain stood before him; was it truly so easy to ascend? The members of the Qilin Gate arrayed at the base showed no immediate aggression, yet their faces were etched with indignation, poised to charge forward at any moment.

"Brother Qin Fen, I ask you one more time," Hashimoto said, placing a heavy hand on Qin Fen's shoulder. "Are you truly going up to propose marriage to the Qilin?" Qin Fen tilted his head back to observe the towering mountain, gently nodded, and his expression settled into a calm reply, "If not to propose marriage, then what business would I have here?" "You must know the Qilin's attitude toward you?" Hashimoto swept his gaze across the Qilin Gate martial artists facing them at the mountain’s base. "I fear…" "I am well aware," Qin Fen replied, rotating his shoulders and lowering his gaze to meet the eyes of the assembled martial artists.

"I have thoroughly considered the difficulties of ascending this mountain to propose. I suspect I am unwelcome, likely to be turned away at the door? That is fine; I am prepared to fight my way up." Jiu Tian Xuannü inwardly gasped.

She had ultimately underestimated Qin Fen, who had recently struck down several Martial Arts Masters. Knowing the Qilin had already issued a decree expressing his stance, yet Qin Fen still chose to arrive to propose marriage. Qin Fen steadied himself, circulating his true energy inward, and took his first step toward the proposal.

As Qin Fen lifted his foot, the expressions of the dozen or so martial artists at the foot of Qilin Mountain sharpened instantly, their faces reddening with barely suppressed anger. Each one grimly stepped aside, suddenly clearing the blocked path up the mountain. Hashimoto blinked, and Jiu Tian Xuannü’s expression froze.

Qin Fen’s eyebrows twitched with confusion. Judging by the demeanor of these martial artists, it would not have been surprising if each one charged forward, carrying a nuclear bomb, yet they had suddenly opened a path, visibly restraining their fighting intent—this invitation to ascend was frankly incomprehensible. On the stairway leading up the mountain, a stooped elder slowly descended.

His kindly, gentle smile and eyes filled with appreciative amusement allowed Qin Fen to recognize Steward Hou from the Shengjing Manor. Qin Fen rushed forward a couple of steps and bowed deeply before the steward. "Grandpa Hou." Qin Fen had never forgotten the favor of Steward Hou teaching him the palm technique via Lin Liqiang that day.

Without that exquisitely brilliant palm technique, his progress in martial arts would certainly not have reached its current level. Steward Hou’s eyes narrowed into slits, and he nodded gently, hands clasped behind his back. "Young man, you have come after all.

Very good. Since you have taken the first step toward entering the mountain, these people will no longer stop you. Come up the mountain with me." "Ah?" Qin Fen was greatly surprised.

Judging by Song Wendong’s previous declared style, even if he hadn't arrived with weapons, a forceful, fist-and-kick ascent should have been unavoidable. "Why are you lingering? What?

My master wishes to see you." Steward Hou turned, his aged legs carrying him slowly up the steps toward the summit, muttering almost to himself, "The master is the Qilin; if everything he did could be predicted by you, what kind of Qilin would he be?" Qin Fen frowned slightly. The Qilin was the Qilin! Before even meeting face-to-face, the contest had already begun, and Qin Fen had already lost the first exchange.

The initiative had been snatched away by this command to ascend without a fight, catching him completely off guard. "Not coming? Aren't you happy?" Hashimoto slapped Qin Fen heartily on the back.

Song Wendong, the Qilin, was someone even Martial Arts Masters found difficult to meet; Hashimoto was genuinely pleased to benefit from Qin Fen’s presence today. "You, the fatty, and the girl, wait down here," Steward Hou said without looking back. His low voice sounded kindly, yet carried an undeniable command.

"My master did not say he wished to see you." Jiu Tian Xuannü shrugged, her expression as calm as before. No one could tell if she was merely posturing or genuinely unconcerned. Qin Fen quickly followed Steward Hou toward the peak.

Throughout the ascent, Steward Hou remained silent, walking with his hands behind his back and a slight stoop to his waist. Following behind, Qin Fen felt far less relaxed. Many martial artists resided on this mountain, and occasionally, two fiercely hostile gazes would suddenly shoot out from the trees, immediately making him feel as if he were surrounded by a pack of wolves.

The higher they climbed, the more powerful the gazes from the surrounding woods felt. Many of these looks were almost physical blades, making Qin Fen, with his highly sensitive martial sense, feel far more discomfort than any other martial artist would. Under the scrutiny of these numerous gazes, Qin Fen felt as if his body was exposed, stripped bare without the protection of his internal energy.

He felt like he was walking through a dense forest bristling with hidden daggers, his skin stinging painfully under the sheer force of those looks. He frequently fought the urge to rush into the woods, strike the hidden assailants, and then proceed. However high a mountain, it eventually has a summit.

Though Steward Hou’s pace seemed unhurried, it took less than an hour to bring Qin Fen to a great hall closest to the peak. Qin Fen inwardly marveled. He had actually reached the vicinity of the summit without incident.

What was the Qilin thinking? He had only once opposed Song Wendong’s verbal command, and immediately the Qilin had issued a decree allowing all young martial artists across the world to issue a challenge. "Could it be that he was testing me back then?

That he actually favored me?" Qin Fen shook his head repeatedly, dismissing the thought. Divine Beasts occupied the very pinnacle of martial artists; facing a novice, he shouldn't have the time or inclination to observe him closely. There were so many genius young martial artists in the world; even the Qilin could not watch them all.

Furthermore, how many talented young martial artists had Song Wendong, a Divine Beast, witnessed? He would no longer be surprised by any talented youth. A martial artist of that stature must have personally seen countless gifted young people eventually vanish into the long river of martial arts history.

"If it wasn't a test?" Standing before the hall, Qin Fen grew even more perplexed. Given the Qilin’s established personality, his visit should not have been this smooth. Even if seventeen-star martial artists were arrayed at the foot of the mountain, Qin Fen would not have been surprised.

As a top-tier expert, his resources, while perhaps not 'clouds of experts,' were certainly vast, beyond the reach of outsiders’ imagination. "Young man, wait in this hall for a moment. I will go announce your arrival," Steward Hou said, hands behind his back, swaggering slightly as he walked through the hall toward the path leading to the very summit of Qilin Mountain.

Qin Fen sat down in the hall, choosing to stop speculating. The more he guessed, the more passive his position became. When attempting to propose to a Divine Beast level practitioner, one absolutely could not afford to be reactive!

Qin Fen rose and paced gently within the hall, observing the surroundings, which struck him as odd. He had expected a massive screen, perhaps bearing a large character for 'Martial,' and martial-related artifacts decorating the area. However, the hall was strangely clean and simple, resembling the living room of an ordinary elderly person; there was no hint of it belonging to a supreme martial powerhouse.

Not long after, Steward Hou returned to the hall, still sporting his amiable, gentle, smiling demeanor. "Young man, the Master will see you now. Go ahead." Qin Fen bowed, quickening his pace toward the final short flight of stone steps leading to the peak.

A subtle thread of contempt arose within his normally calm heart. A Divine Beast! The Earthly God of War!

Hailed as one of the federation's strongest! Even though Qin Fen had once defied his orders, the mere thought of meeting one of today's top experts inevitably brought a tremor of tension and excitement. Many Martial Arts Masters never had the chance to see a Divine Beast martial artist in person in their entire lives; Qin Fen felt a spark of fortune.

Ascending the final stone step, Qin Fen felt a hint of surprise upon seeing Song Wendong's residence. The dignified Earthly God of War, the Qilin Song Wendong, did not dwell in a luxurious, near-mythical palace, as described in the documentary about the White Tiger. On the peak of Qilin Mountain, there were no magnificent palaces or exquisite villas; there was only a simple stone house inside.

The stone house occupied a small footprint. Qin Fen estimated its interior space to be only a few square meters. Song Wendong lived in this stone house!

Qin Fen’s other foot lifted off the ground of the final stone step. Suddenly! At that precise moment, from the stone house, which had been as quiet as inert rock, erupted a torrent of energy!

In an instant, the summit of Qilin Mountain experienced a sudden shift in atmosphere. Qin Fen felt a colossal wave of energy violently explode within the confined space of the small stone house. This grand torrent of energy and aura far surpassed that of the two Martial Arts Masters, Pei Chengjun and Si Ji Zhen Hao Tian, whom he had faced previously.

Within this vast energy flow, Qin Fen sensed no heavy history, no lingering imprint; there was only pure, raw destructive force! In that instant, he felt as though he were adrift in the center of the Pacific Ocean, buffeted by endless gales and towering waves, rendering him a helpless, tiny boat. As the energy burst from the stone house, the structure itself shook violently, and a manifestation of true energy leaped out!

Yes! Not just a stream of energy, but an actual entity formed of true energy! Qin Fen saw clearly that the escaping energy had taken the shape of a creature resembling a noble steed, though its aura was incalculably superior to any horse.

Within the massive flow, the condensed gas faintly radiated an unparalleled, kingly dominance—the presence of the sovereign! This surge of energy had been utterly unexpected! Qin Fen’s martial sense was usually impeccable; no matter how powerful the opponent, he always knew if an attack was coming beforehand.

However, for the first time, Qin Fen sensed the attacker's intent only at the moment the true energy erupted from the stone house and tore through the wall. This was absurd; how had he concealed it? Qin Fen was horrified.

He pressed his right hand over the back of his left, pushing gently forward. Facing such absolute power, complete evasion was clearly impossible. Qin Fen also sensed that if he dodged, the attacker inside the stone house would seamlessly transition into a follow-up move, plunging him into a completely defensive position.

Taking this initial blow was the only option. Qin Fen stacked his palms, his entire true energy surging upward. The instant he felt the Qilin Fist connect with his palms, his body convulsed strangely, all his joints simultaneously rotating in a circular motion.

A sound like colliding mahjong tiles erupted as he desperately applied yielding force to its limit, attempting to redirect the explosion of energy downward through his feet. The true energy impacted his body, and Qin Fen instantly realized his naiveté. This Qilin Fist energy was far more tyrannical than he had anticipated.

The force was not nullified or deflected by the extremely soft technique; instead, his body was violently driven backward by the impact, completely shattering the circular, yielding maneuver. Bang! Qin Fen heard the stone beneath his feet crack at the same moment he heard the true energy churning within him explode inch by inch.

The resounding noise echoed in his mind, and stars filled his vision. He didn't even have a chance to activate the Bio-Mechanical Beast transformation before his eyes suddenly went black, and he passed out on the spot. In the final fleeting moment before losing consciousness, Qin Fen clearly heard a cold snort, filled with sternness and disdain, emanating from the small stone house.

His body went limp like a dandelion seed carried by the wind, completely losing control. Pain! Every joint, every tendon, every cell in his entire body was screaming in agony!

Qin Fen had not felt such intense pain in a long time; it felt as if thousands of steel needles were piercing his flesh. The searing pain shocked him awake from his unconsciousness. The first thing he saw was Hashimoto’s anxious expression, and Jiu Tian Xuannü, standing still, devoid of any discernible emotion.

"What happened to me…" Qin Fen pushed up with his hands, realizing he was lying on the ground. The scent of clean earth restored some of his spirit, and he asked with curiosity, "I think I went up the mountain once." Hashimoto nodded heavily, confirming that Qin Fen’s memory was accurate. "I think I was knocked out by the energy from the stone house with a single punch," Qin Fen stared blankly at the ground before him.

Since becoming a Martial Arts Master, he had never suffered such a humiliating loss, being knocked unconscious by a single blow. "Is this the strength of a Divine Beast martial artist?" Qin Fen suddenly realized that being knocked out by a single punch wasn't the most embarrassing or stifling part. What was his purpose for coming here?

To propose marriage! Qin Fen realized with deep frustration that he hadn't even had the chance to speak his intent before Song Wendong knocked him out. Clearly, Song Wendong had no intention of granting him an opportunity to speak.

As for the single punch? Qin Fen managed a weak smile. He finally understood why the Qilin had ordered everyone to let him pass.

That wasn't a test or a reward for succeeding a test. It was because the Qilin was extremely displeased; a junior defying him so openly required a personal beating to truly vent his anger. Indeed, there was nothing more satisfying in this world than beating someone who delivered themselves right to your door!

Qin Fen fully grasped the meaning behind that punch from Song Wendong. Looking up at the peak of Qilin Mountain, Qin Fen was filled with defiance. His objective was to propose marriage, yet he was summarily beaten before he could even state his purpose—had he simply walked up to be beaten for no reason?

"This won't do!" Qin Fen placed his hands on his hips, sat down cross-legged again, and closed his eyes to run the Rebirth Art, regulating his internal energy to mend the minor injuries inflicted by the blow. "At the very least, I must ascend and say those words to him: I am here to propose marriage, and I ask for Song Jia's hand." Jiu Tian Xuannü observed Qin Fen quietly, a flicker of increased respect growing in her heart. Few people dared to meet Song Wendong; to be knocked out by one punch and yet feel no sense of shame, immediately shaking off the frustration to attempt the ascent again—this type of person was rare indeed.

"As long as this person doesn't die on Qilin Mountain, he will surely be the best candidate to oppose Yan Luo Tianzi of the Underworld in the future!" Jiu Tian Xuannü solidified her conviction. Qin Fen’s injuries were completely healed under the treatment of the Rebirth Art. With his body recovered, Qin Fen did not immediately rush back up the mountain.

He remained immersed in meditation, his mind ceaselessly replaying that single punch from the stone house. That punch wasn't earth-shattering, but it possessed an aura of absolute confidence. More admirable still was the impeccable timing: launched the instant the intruder’s other foot left the ground!

The timing, the angle, and the hidden follow-up attack—Qin Fen had to admit that the skill of a Divine Beast martial artist was truly extraordinary. If he had charged up relying only on raw passion without clear calculation, he would have been struck down from the peak by that inescapable inner fist. Qin Fen ceased replaying only the moment the Qilin Fist appeared; he began to recall why the stone house had been so quiet beforehand, concealing his martial sense.

Why, when using soft power to deflect the Qilin Fist, which he had calculated should neutralize at least three-sevenths of the force, did it only manage to dispel one-seventh? If he had neutralized three-sevenths, he wouldn't have been knocked unconscious. Unconscious?

Qin Fen suddenly recalled the chaotic, explosive force of the Qilin Fist just before he blacked out. A sequence of images instantly linked together, playing rapidly like a fast-forwarded video. A smile began to spread across Qin Fen's lips; being knocked out by that punch was not truly undeserved—in fact, he might have gained something.

Concentrating deeply, Qin Fen sat at the foot of Qilin Mountain for an entire day, gaining a profound understanding of that previous strike. He reopened his eyes, rose, and looked up at the high summit. "Today, I will ascend Qilin Mountain!

This time, I will state my purpose and complete the marriage proposal."