To fight a Divine Beast martial artist like the Qilin, if one loses the initial initiative, there is simply no point in continuing the battle.

Both previous attempts to ascend failed when, upon setting foot on the eighty-first step, they were met by a sudden eruption of Qilin Fist from within the stone house.

Since the eighty-first step could not be crossed, the action would come from the eightieth! The granite steps, unchanged by decades of wind and rain, seemed to be cleanly severed at the center and shattered under the sudden burst of Thunder Force from the Thunder Step.

“So fast!” Song Jia’s beautiful eyes flashed, her heart trembling repeatedly. Qin Fen’s speed, after many days unseen, was now so great that her level of strength could only perceive a faint, fleeting shadow.

The already ravaged stone house erupted with a third wave of majestic airflow. The stone walls between the two combatants dissolved into dust like tofu meeting a high-speed meteor impact, instantly turning into specks of fine powder that merged with the powerful air current generated by the Qilin Fist, forming a visible, serpentine column of gray haze.

Qilin Fist! Still the Qilin Fist, unchanged for the third time! Qin Fen’s body swayed for the first time. His Thunder Step exploded with a second sound of thunder, and his body vanished from Song Jia’s sight in an instant! A sharp zhi sound, a whistle cutting through the thunderous roar, split the air—the sound of Qin Fen’s body traveling at supersonic speeds through air friction, violently tearing open the sound barrier of the storm.

This was Qin Fen’s true Thunder Step! An evolved version following intense battles with two Great Martial Arts Masters, though it hadn't reached the level of Electric Step, it represented a new sublimation. He hadn't used it before to deceive the Qilin; deploying it now elicited a faint sound of surprise from within the dark stone house.

“Oh?”

In the stone house, a pair of eyes, accompanied by a crisp sound of curiosity, suddenly brightened, resembling two searchlights igniting in the deep night.

Even Song Zhenting had to admit that Qin Fen’s Thunder Step speed was among the super-speeds of the world for a Fifteen-Star Martial Grandmaster. Any Fifteen-Star martial artist fighting him risked instant defeat under this very step if momentarily careless.

Supreme speed! This was the first time the attack of the Qilin Fist had been evaded.

“What is that?” Qiao Ben, sitting below, watched a fist energy wave roar past the sky—it split the heavens, and in his eyes, it was a luminous Qilin treading on the wind and clouds overhead, streaking toward the horizon. Behind it, only a transparent channel of displaced air remained. The air pushed aside rapidly rushed to fill this vacuum, causing a chain of thunderous roars, like hundreds of heavenly bolts exploding on a clear day.

On the summit of Jianli Mountain, the ground instantly blossomed everywhere, as if an entire battery of heavy artillery had zeroed in and fired a group volley. Wherever Qin Fen’s Thunder Step passed, irregular craters appeared.

Dust, debris, soil, and grass clippings shrouded half of the Qilin Mountain peak. Qin Fen executed a Thunder Step back to the central point halfway up the summit. The hand resting near his right waist clenched into a fist and rotated violently! The resultant gust of wind acted like a high-powered range hood, swirling the suspended dust, debris, and soil at high speed toward his fist.

Through the hazy dust, Qin Fen’s figure reappeared in Song Jia’s line of sight.

“World Swallowing Aura?” Song Jia’s eyes shone with a strange brilliance, staring in disbelief at the preparatory stance for Qin Fen’s ultimate move, which bore a striking resemblance to the World Swallowing Aura within the Qilin Fist.

The dust and debris sucked in, Qin Fen’s true essence violently exploded from every pore of his body. The martial uniform covering him instantly disintegrated into tattered rags. His entire bone marrow and muscle lattice underwent a massive, circular vibration, resembling a huge shaker containing hundreds of tiny beads rattling together, or perhaps half a bottle of beverage being shaken. The moment his feet finished their oscillation, they simultaneously struck the ground in parallel, propelling his body forward.

Avoiding momentum, creating momentum, gathering momentum, and then unleashing momentum! After the battle at Mount Hannah, Qin Fen had finally perfected this sequence. This single movement caused the entire Qilin Peak to tremble, and the stone house built upon it vibrated ceaselessly.

The Dragon Cannon, the Thunder Step, and the Extreme Softness yielding to Hardness—these three techniques were fused seamlessly in Qin Fen’s hands. The force generated by his step stirred Song Jia’s long hair completely, causing her qipao to snap; she instinctively raised her hand to block the incoming gale.

In that instant, the ground within a twenty-meter radius beneath Qin Fen seemed to suffer the impact of an extraterrestrial meteor, collapsing in unison. Further away, small grass and trees were jolted from the soil by the shockwave.

A roar of airflow, accompanied by the surging power of the Yellow River, manifested as the Yan Lin Fist Qi, sweeping up the turf in its path and forming a pale green Qilin rushing towards Qin Fen.

A direct clash? Qin Fen tightened his rear leg, and as his shoulder muscles bulged, those on his back followed suit, instantly transferring all that force into his legs. He bent his waist even lower, mimicking the pressure-building tension of a shrimp in the water before unleashing it all.

In a flash, Qin Fen vanished from his standing position. The patch of earth looked as if it had been struck by a weight of thousands of tons.

In that single breath, Qin Fen’s body shot forward like lightning. Song Jia couldn't even sense his aura; it was as if he had disintegrated on the spot and instantly reformed before the stone house.

“Thunder Dragon Cannon!” Qin Fen planted his feet, sank his waist, turned his shoulders, and his arm rotated with them. His entire fist, like a high-speed rotating cannonball, slammed fiercely into the half-section of stone wall blocking his path.

Boom!

The massive sound echoed throughout the Qilin Mountains. Even Qiao Ben at the foot of the mountain looked up in astonishment toward the summit. “Qin Fen’s energy is actually this dark, powerful, and vast?”

“Heh heh,” Butler Hou, sitting in a rattan chair as if asleep but not quite, opened his eyes with the swaying of the chair. He looked toward the Qilin Mountain peak where violent energy splashed, yet no sand or stone flew near the true peak.

“It seems Lin is going to put on a show?”

On the summit, Song Jia watched through the gaps in her fingers, surprised. The punch Qin Fen used, capable of splitting and shattering the Qilin Peak, had failed to shatter the wall of that small stone house.

Qin Fen stood before the house, sinking his stance and lowering his hips, rotating his ankles to drive his waist and shoulders into an explosive turn. His left fist, hidden near his waist—the Fengshen Bang—smashed directly toward the stone house obstructing him.

A punch that could shatter steel, that could shatter a peak, yet it could not shatter the stone house! This wasn't because the house used some new alloy technology; rather, the Qilin’s protective True Essence enveloped the entire room. The Thunder Dragon Cannon merely exploded into a massive flower of energy against the shield wall, failing to actually pierce it.

Boom! The mountain shook again. Song Zhenting’s expression shifted to surprise as he watched the flying shards of stone, clicking his tongue repeatedly. Qin Fen’s second punch followed the first with almost no interval; before the protective True Essence, which had bloomed into an energy flower, had time to close, he struck again, finally blasting the stone wall apart.

Through the dust, Qin Fen finally saw the legendary Qilin, Song Wendong!

Inside the stone house, the renowned Song Wendong sat cross-legged on the grass. Song Jia’s beauty clearly inherited the genes of this Divine Beast martial artist. His handsome face was flawless, set beneath thick, dark sword-like eyebrows framing a pair of eyes that sparkled brighter than jewels, captivating and full of spirit. His broad forehead exuded wisdom, and his serene aura carried an incomprehensible mystery, as if no one could see through him.

The Qilin’s hair was still completely black, though frost had appeared at the temples, but this did not lend him an aged look; instead, it added the veteran air befitting a Divine Beast martial artist like the Qilin. His gentleness was tempered by an air of seeming indifference to everything, making him difficult to approach.

His tall, well-proportioned physique complemented this, pushing the demeanor of an unparalleled master to its zenith!

He was about five centimeters taller than Qin Fen. Seeing the Qilin’s true appearance, Qin Fen couldn't help but admire the presence! This caliber was not inferior to a Grandmaster!

“Qilin’s third descendant, Qin Fen, approaches to request a marriage proposal.”

Shards of stone fell from the air, passing through the air near Qin Fen to land gently on the ground. Dust swirled and spread around the two figures, creating an indescribable atmosphere.

Song Jia gazed at this picturesque scene, listening to Qin Fen’s steady yet firm voice, her cheeks flushed as she bit her lower lip.

The Qilin slightly raised his eyelids to look at Qin Fen, his gaze steady and icy. His lips parted slightly, “On what basis?”

Qin Fen stared fixedly into the gaze emanating from the Qilin and retorted calmly, “Is this not enough?”

“Is this really enough?”

The Qilin’s voice suddenly turned cold. The eyes beneath his sword-like brows flashed with nearly palpable killing intent.

Achieving the rank of a Fifteen-Star Martial Grandmaster before the age of twenty, and subsequently slaying two foundational martial arts masters of the current era, this ability surpassed any previous Divine Beast; he could almost be considered the youngest Martial Grandmaster in history.

At such an age and with such strength, he was sufficient in anyone’s eyes! Yet Qin Fen could clearly sense that the Qilin’s words held no trace of jest or trial; it was a naked desire to kill.

Retreating now could save his life. However, an absurd impulse surged in Qin Fen’s mind. He narrowed his eyes slightly at the Qilin, Song Wendong, “Then, allow me to experience your martial techniques further…”

“Suppressing you with sheer force, you probably won’t be convinced.” Song Wendong, who had remained seated, slowly rose, hands clasped behind his back. He stepped out of the stone house, “Whether you are convinced or not makes no difference to me. Given that you could shatter the stone wall, I will tell you why it is not enough.”

Song Wendong waved his wide sleeves. With two sharp snaps, he raised his hands to chest level, slowly spreading his five fingers to envelop the entire Qilin Peak.

The moment Song Wendong spread his fingers, Qin Fen felt that every flower, every blade of grass, every single tree on this ravaged Qilin Peak was enveloped beneath his palm. He was the controller of the world’s power; even his blood flow rate, heartbeat, and the circulation of his true essence were completely mastered by the Qilin.

With his fingers spread, Song Wendong’s True Essence surpassed the Fifteen-Star level. A palpable palm pressure, akin to an overwhelming tide, pressed toward Qin Fen, causing his black hair near his ears to sway gently and his spirit to be instantly heightened.

The martial way, reaching this level! It was far beyond comparison with the two foundational martial arts masters from Mount Hannah. Only by seeing and experiencing it firsthand could one understand what this palm pressure contained.

Song Wendong’s expression was placid, his calm words possessing a childlike clarity, “Heaven Seizing Palm.”

As he spoke, Song Wendong took a step forward. His majestic aura followed his steady pace, merging with the overwhelming palm pressure of a mountain crushing down, directed at his target.

Qin Fen’s shoulders shook, his body stood erect. His spine rose and fell like a great dragon. His hand joints popped, and his fingers swelled to the size of a cattail fan. His five fingers pressed together, his arm muscles intertwining and solidifying like a battle saber. He stared fixedly at Song Wendong’s world-shaking strike.

Learning from Heaven, grasping Heaven! Song Wendong struck with a single palm. There was no explosive sound of wind; his formidable star-level strength revealed the elegance of this strike. Within a few steps, his palm form constantly changed, revealing every move without reservation, as if he were displaying his martial intent entirely through this single palm. What frustrated Qin Fen most was that every change in this palm attack was precisely when a method of response flashed in Qin Fen’s mind, forcing him to adapt endlessly, as if Qin Fen were a great river behind him—without needing actual contact, he could be forced to jump into the water.

Martial skill, reaching this level, could not be described merely as reaching the pinnacle or achieving the sublime. The palm techniques manifested continuously, and the Qilin’s footwork did not cease changing. Qin Fen’s martial sense could not predict where this truly fatal strike would originate.

The immense gap in strength was not something that courage, boldness, or heroism could bridge.

Facing a disparity he had never encountered, Qin Fen sucked air deeply into his lungs. His entire right arm instantly glowed with the luster of Ice Seed Jade. From afar, Song Jia could seemingly see the bone marrow beneath Qin Fen’s overlaid muscles.

The black part of Qin Fen’s pupils seemed to momentarily solidify into black obsidian. He stared unblinkingly at the Heaven Grasping Palm, less than three feet away. As the palm pressure swept across his face, causing the skin to twitch slightly, a cold shout erupted as he stepped forward. “Mountain Splitting, Mother Saving!” He met the attack, staking everything on this arm, which shone almost like Ice Seed Jade.

Chih chih chih!

The first layer of palm pressure from Song Wendong’s Heaven Grasping Palm was pierced by Qin Fen’s strike. The hand he swung out was like a gleaming Guan Dao cutting into a vast army, slicing through layer after layer of mist!

Bang! Fist met palm, muscle collided with bone marrow, and True Essences intermingled and clashed instantly. The ground beneath both their feet cracked open with several deep fissures spanning several meters. The sounds of colliding bone marrow, muscle, and True Essence mixed together, resembling the screeching chaos of continuous emergency braking and rear-end collisions on a highway.

Qin Fen grunted repeatedly. His rooted feet slid back ten meters without moving their position on the ground, leaving behind a three-inch-deep groove, but he had successfully blocked the unpredictable and countless subsequent variations of the Heaven Grasping Palm.

The Qilin looked at Qin Fen’s pale face. He flicked his wide sleeve, placed his hands behind his back, and did not immediately follow up. He stood as if on a sheer cliff edge, gazing at Qin Fen, “No delusional attempts to evade, clear assessment of all situations. However, is merely blocking this one strike enough qualification?”

Qin Fen’s heart beat forcefully several times. Blood supply to his body returned to normal. He loosened his stance, dropped his waist, lowered his shoulders, drew back his fist, and adopted the most basic Bow Stance of the Shaolin Arhat Fist. The fighting spirit in his chest rose uncontrollably. “I request further guidance.”

Song Wendong narrowed his eyes, hooking his index and middle fingers together, and flicked his fingers with remarkable ease.

Qin Fen’s eyes, also narrowed to slits, saw the sharp light increase continuously. The first strike, Heaven Grasping Palm, showed no mercy. The suppressive power, though lowered, was not brought down to the Fifteen-Star level, but directly utilized Sixteen-Star strength, completely disregarding balance or fairness. If one could not block it, they would be struck and die.

Qin Fen drew two sharp breaths, observing the Wuxiang Jie Zhi (Formless Calamity Finger) shooting toward him. His waist rotated violently, followed by his ankles and feet. His entire body instantly spun at high speed like a detached object, kicking up countless dust particles that revealed the near-invisible trajectory of the incoming finger strike. His arm swept out in a half-arc, like jade, to meet it.

Bang! Four streams of air current shattered the swirling dust. Qin Fen’s high-speed spinning gyroscope body was flung back six meters. His left foot served as a pivot point, while his right foot carved a large circle near his body before stopping the rotation.

“Deflect?” The Qilin gently raised his right arm, his index finger slowly locking onto Qin Fen. His wrist suddenly flicked, reminiscent of the recoil experienced when an ordinary person fires a handgun.

The Formless Calamity Finger—formless and traceless! There was no sound of wind cutting through the air, nor any substantial finger-sword energy. Yet, Qin Fen’s martial sense still perceived the razor-sharp strike. His palm flicked forward, the Heart Plucking Hand pushing sharply upwards! A blood mark, visible to the naked eye, instantly appeared on his palm as the trajectory of the Formless Calamity Finger’s energy was altered by this block.

Song Wendong said nothing. His fingers moved rapidly. Song Zhenting watched clearly; this time, it wasn't just one Formless Calamity Finger, but over a dozen in rapid succession. Moreover, there was no intention of stopping. Even if Qin Fen used the Thunder Step to evade, he would be blocked by the other fingers already in flight.

Evasion was no longer possible. Qin Fen sensed the Qilin’s murderous aura. His rear right leg stepped half a pace forward preemptively. His arms swept out in front of him in a fan shape, one hard and one soft. To Song Jia, it appeared as if Qin Fen suddenly grew over a dozen arms before him.

As the first Formless Calamity Finger approached, Qin Fen’s Yin Dragon Soft Force coiled around the finger energy, continuously turning, followed by a rapid explosion of Yang Dragon Hard Force. With a single punch, he shattered the weakened finger energy, his hair near his forehead whipping back from the surge of energy.

Song Wendong’s narrowed eyes held a trace of surprise. His fingers flickered a hundred times, and then his wrist suddenly flicked, sending out the energy of the Formless Calamity Finger in a flurry.

Bang! Qin Fen retreated half a step.

Bang bang! Qin Fen consecutively retreated two half-steps.

Song Zhenting clicked his tongue in amazement. His father was indeed using Sixteen-Star True Essence, but he had converted the quality of the circulating energy to that of an ordinary martial artist’s Sixteen-Star level, rather than his innate Sixteen-Star True Essence quality. Each seemingly simple strike carried a thousand subtle variations, preventing Qin Fen from ever grasping which strike was the strongest or the weakest. He could only passively react to whatever came, with no opportunity to contemplate proactive offense.

After a hundred strikes, the jade-like luster of Qin Fen’s arm diminished. Song Wendong controlled the tempo of the finger energy at will, dominating the entire situation and rapidly depleting Qin Fen’s True Essence and strength.

Without earth-shattering or ghost-crying martial techniques, Song Wendong displayed the demeanor of a Great Grandmaster. Every gesture made Qin Fen feel as if he were fighting a dozen Martial Grandmasters simultaneously. His True Essence was being eroded bit by bit; eventually, it would run out.

Fairness? Unfairness?

Qin Fen fully understood Song Wendong’s actions. To demand fairness without possessing the requisite strength was the greatest unfairness in itself. He didn't need others to concede; he only needed to strike down those who disagreed, and the dissent would cease.

Whether domineering or tyrannical, Qin Fen began to understand the mindset of the Divine Beast martial artists: I am the Divine Beast, I am the King! Without such a mentality, the Divine Beast martial artist would remain merely a dream.

Counterattack! He had to counterattack, no matter what! Qin Fen still had ample physical strength and True Essence. His legs utilized a combination of softness and hardness, applying the formless Yin-Yang Dual Dragon technique to his feet. His body exploded into a rapid spin, his arm muscles flexing hard and soft, creating waves of air pressure from his chest. His ten fingers formed claws, resembling a band of monkeys frolicking wildly. His body surged forward at high speed. His arms, twisting with hard and soft variations, unleashed a storm of palm shadows. A tide-like fury, mixed with the flavor of a thousand monkeys, continuously surged forward. In that moment, in Song Jia’s eyes, Qin Fen transformed into a massive monkey, dodging, weaving, grabbing, and smashing the incoming Formless Calamity Fingers one after another.

Divine Fist Dao: “Great Sage Ruckus in Heaven!” Qin Fen integrated the techniques of the Raging Tidal Wave and the Golden State Dance, combat skills honed in massive brawls, creating a ferocious martial technique of the Divine Fist Dao!

Qin Fen suddenly shifted his response to the infinitely varied Formless Calamity Fingers, using the Ruckus in Heaven sequence to break Song Wendong’s control over the situation for the first time. He then plunged into the densest area of the Formless Calamity Fingers. Even the Qilin felt a great degree of surprise. With a cold snort, his Sixteen-Star True Essence reverted to Fifteen-Star, even matching Qin Fen in quality. The True Essence became highly concentrated. He stabilized his stance, and with the rotation driven by his shoulder, his wrist suddenly flicked, snapped, and thrust!

Song Zhenting’s body convulsed. This strike looked casual, but it was a peak strike achievable by a seasoned master at the Fifteen-Star level. The degree of True Essence concentration far surpassed Qin Fen’s.

A Fifteen-Star strike, the same level, was even more perilous than the previous Sixteen-Star attack! After deflecting over a dozen strikes, this final one pierced through the Great Sage’s Heavenly Ruckus and struck into Qin Fen’s body. The True Essence immediately surged toward Qin Fen’s brain.

“Qin Fen has lost… perhaps he will die…”

Song Zhenting watched Qin Fen’s body lose control, drift into the air, and gently shook his head. Qin Fen’s sudden change in tactics had nearly reversed the tide of the battle. It was precisely his unrestrained, unorthodox fighting style that aroused the martial heart of the Divine Beast, causing him to descend directly to the Fifteen-Star level, acting to show Qin Fen that in terms of force control, he was still several streets behind a Divine Beast. If he wanted to know exactly how many streets, he would have to exchange his life for the answer.

“Qin Fen…”

Song Jia tried to step forward, but Song Zhenting placed a hand on her shoulder. He watched as Qin Fen’s body slammed heavily onto the ground, sliding over ten meters, tumbling down the stone steps.

Song Wendong watched Qin Fen leave the peak of Qingshan, hands clasped behind his back, making no move to pursue, his gaze merely fixed on Qin Fen, who had rolled to Steward Hou’s feet, unconscious. The True Qi of the Formless Tribulation Finger, which had struck his neck, erupted from the base of his throat, spraying blood and halting just short of his brain, protecting it—this was the last protective act Qin Fen managed before losing consciousness.

Pain! Qin Fen floated in the surrounding darkness, looking around at the situation with some surprise. Every time he had been knocked unconscious by Song Wendong before, he hadn't entered this strange spiritual space. What was different today?

"Three bouts of intense combat. How did it feel?"

The Master approached, radiating his signature refined elegance, emerging from the void’s darkness and smiling at Qin Fen.

"Not great," Qin Fen shook his head lightly. "The third exchange might have brought slight improvement, but not much. Fifteen-star level; while my control might surpass the Si-level, the gap to a Divine Beast is too vast."

Bang...

The Kirin’s foot descended onto the first step, its eyes locked onto the unconscious Qin Fen, moving forward slowly, step by deliberate step.

"I hadn't expected such a powerhouse to exist in this world," a hint of admiration touched the Master’s refined face. "Is this a Divine Beast martial artist?"

The Master looked at Qin Fen, shaking his head lightly with a sigh. "A pity, what a pity..." Qin Fen was deeply confused; the Master today was vastly different from usual, his elegant exterior concealing a feeling akin to a wild beast on the verge of madness.

"A pity, your body can currently only withstand fifteen minutes!" the Master said slowly to Qin Fen. "I have resided here for too long; it has become unbearably dull. Can you lend me control of your body for fifteen minutes?"

"Lend it to you?" Qin Fen’s eye muscles twitched violently.

"Precisely, lend it to me!" A fanaticism ignited in the Master’s eyes. "The connection between your spirit and body cannot be severed by anyone unless you willingly loan me some time. It's so boring here. Finally seeing a Divine Beast martial artist—could you let me use your body? Of course, I won't use it for nothing! Although the control of the body is temporarily transferred to me, you can remain as an observer to witness a battle rarely seen in this world."

Qin Fen stared blankly at the Master, whose look shifted from fanaticism to outright madness. He gasped and asked, "You want to use my body to fight Yi Lin? That’s even possible?"

"Theoretically, yes," the Master nodded gently. "It’s just that even using your body, I can only utilize your current star-level strength; I cannot help you break through to the sixteenth star level, nor to Black Hole strength."

"Fifteen minutes?"

"Yes, fifteen minutes." Endless regret flickered across the Master’s feverish face. "Your body cannot endure me for much longer. If I used it for an extended period, your meridians would snap completely, and the connection could never be re-established. You might even suffer permanent spiritual damage and become an idiot. Boy, how about lending me fifteen minutes? A martial artist like that—even in my own era—I yearned to engage personally. Since I cannot now, I can only borrow your body for a discounted match."

A discount? Qin Fen looked at the Master’s passionate, longing expression, then at the endless black space surrounding them, and nodded slightly. Whether staying in this boundless void or repaying the Master’s kindness, he felt he ought to fulfill this desire of his.

"Really! Are you truly willing?" The Master’s ecstatic expression broke into a smile as joyful as a child’s, his eyes shimmering with a mist-like quality, his body trembling involuntarily.

"Are you truly willing?"

Qin Fen gazed at the Master’s fervent spirit, recalling his demeanor during the Marrow Replacement Nirvana. Beneath this refined exterior lay the heart of the most passionate martial artist.

"I am," Qin Fen nodded gently, smiling. "To be honest, I am also eager to witness the battle between the Master and Earth’s Divine Beast. For any sensible person, watching such a spectacle is something one desires. The insights into the Martial Dao that your clash will bring me are worth far more than fighting him ten times myself..."

"Good insight, boy! Watch closely! This will be the most spectacular confrontation you have ever witnessed in your life!"

The Master’s bold voice echoed through the entire dark space as his form began to dissolve into nothingness. Qin Fen noticed a white, screen-like window appearing in the dark expanse, through which he could see the outside world.