"Thirty-six hours? Qin Fen smiled, thinking that in this world, who could understand 'Thirty-six Hours' better than him.

"That's true. Most martial artists must have heard the name 'Thirty-six Hours'," Ma Juntie looked up at the sparse starry sky, his eyes filled with indescribable reverence. "The myth of a hundred victories on the Sky Battle Net, the invincible Money Vampire, the pioneer of the Luohan Fist trend, the leader of the massive Dragon Hall—a legend admired by countless young martial artists. If only I could see his true face, to experience that invincible demeanor, how wonderful that would be."

Ma Juntie drew his gaze back from the stars and turned to Qin Fen, saying, "Although many speculate that 'Thirty-six Hours' disappeared from the Sky Battle Net because he hit the bottleneck of peak Nine Stars and couldn't complete the blood renewal, I don't believe he was incapable of it. I believe he must currently be striving for an even higher goal. When he finally returns to the Sky Battle Net, he will surely shock all the speculators, and our Dragon Hall's reputation will expand once more!"

Qin Fen looked at Ma Juntie’s eyes, which were radiating excitement, and asked reflexively, "Your Dragon Hall?"

"Exactly, I am a member of Dragon Hall." Ma Juntie scratched his head, his smile tinged with three parts shyness. "I'm also a member of Dragon Hall. Many people on the Sky Battle Net, like me, joined Dragon Hall because we admire 'Thirty-six Hours.' To tell you the truth, I’m somewhat famous on the Sky Battle Net too; they call me Little Money Vampire. It’s a pity I don't have the formidable strength of my idol. One hundred seventy-five fights, one hundred sixty-eight wins, two draws, five losses."

Qin Fen focused on Ma Juntie’s eyes—they were bright and clear, showing more yearning for the martial path, aspiration for legends, and a touch of the shyness inherent to youth.

Qin Fen pondered for a moment, staring intently at Ma Juntie’s eyes for a long while. He secretly made a decision in his heart: this young man’s eyes are clear, and his conversation reveals no sinister cunning. Even if he develops powerful martial strength in the future, it’s unlikely he'll use it for wicked deeds. Perhaps it’s better to correct the minor flaws in his musculature and teach him the cultivation method Eighteen Stances of Innate Motion and Stillness as repayment for guiding him toward the realm of unity between man and heaven.

"Your shoulder... and arm," Qin Fen stood up and slowly began a series of stretching movements. "Follow my actions and feel your shoulders and arms."

This was a set of basic physical warm-up exercises, once popular in schools during broadcast physical education breaks, designed simply to relax the body.

Ma Juntie was perplexed. These broadcast exercises had long been replaced by self-developed body-conditioning fists practiced by martial arts masters. Why would this unknown master suddenly suggest doing them today?

Ma Juntie followed Qin Fen’s movements, slowly stretching his body, feeling the skin and muscles gradually elongating, repeating the movements of the broadcast calisthenics again and again.

A long, resounding ship's horn interrupted their stretching routine. The long-absent massive vessel of the Sacred Martial Hall reappeared at the harbor.

The captain standing at the bow was the same old sailor from years ago. The cigarette holder dangling from his lips twitched several times the moment he saw Qin Fen, and his eyes showed a rare glimmer of respect.

'Thirty-six Hours,' the legend of the Sky Battle Net! Qin Fen was the legend of the Sacred Martial Hall! The old captain would never forget what Qin Fen had done on the sea when he first entered the Sacred Martial Hall, nor would he forget what he later heard discussed within its walls.

The Sacred Martial Hall—a martial sanctuary where young genius martial artists of the Federation gathered! It was difficult enough for anyone to establish a foothold there, let alone set a record that garnered such attention.

Qin Fen nodded lightly and stepped onto the gangway leading to the large ship.

Soon, over a hundred container trucks drove into the dock, and batches of daily necessities required by the Sacred Martial Hall were quickly loaded onto the vessel.

Ma Juntie followed Qin Fen blankly, his pupils filled only with curiosity and confusion. After performing those broadcast stretches, he had discovered flaws in his body he had never noticed before—tiny imperfections that would impede progress in the martial path and reduce effectiveness in combat.

Ma Juntie couldn't fathom how merely observing him perform a set of Luohan Fist had revealed so many problems, nor could he understand how those simple broadcast exercises possessed the ability to repair those minute flaws.

"I will now teach you the Eighteen Stances of Innate Motion and Stillness," Qin Fen slowly assumed a stance again. "This cultivation method differs from most internal arts; it can be practiced in motion or at rest during cultivation. Every single character contains endless martial wisdom. I created it based only on a certain level of understanding, and I cannot fully grasp its depth in a short time myself."

Ma Juntie immediately set aside his confusion and began practicing the Eighteen Stances of Innate Motion and Stillness following Qin Fen.

With the foundation of the Four Stances of Motion and Qin Fen’s method of simplifying complexity, Ma Juntie learned exceptionally fast. By the time the ship reached the designated entry point for the Sacred Martial Hall in the sea, he had fully learned the Eighteen Stances of Innate Motion and Stillness; truly mastering it would require far more than a day or two.

Qin Fen concluded his posture and nodded gently at Ma Juntie, who finished his own movements. Learning to this extent in such a short time was quite remarkable. What followed would rely on his own development. Even if he had more time to instruct, he absolutely could not continue guiding him.

Since making a mistake in the Sacred Martial Hall—where he boosted the True Qi oscillation control of Bai Sheng and others to the top level, thereby ensuring they could never advance their star rankings for life—Qin Fen understood more clearly that martial wisdom often cannot be entirely told to others. Much of it must be personally realized, experienced, and explored.

Only the martial wisdom obtained through such personal struggle could truly lead to progress.

"The Sacred Martial Hall is a very good place. Keep striving."

Qin Fen patted Ma Juntie's shoulder and then leaped into the air with Lin Ling, using his Martial Air Technique to ride the wind toward the island of the Sacred Martial Hall.

"Wu... Wu Kong Shu," Ma Juntie muttered dazedly, watching Qin Fen's retreating figure. "A Martial Arts Grandmaster..." He paused, "...Who... who exactly is he?"

Although seeing the power of a palm strike that shattered the sea had made Ma Juntie suspect Qin Fen possessed the capabilities of a Martial Arts Grandmaster, the actual shock of witnessing it was overwhelming.

"Who is he?" The old captain, holding his aged cigarette holder, watched Qin Fen's figure descend toward the island. "He is the legend of the Sacred Martial Hall. In less than a year of being there, he raised his Ten-Star martial strength to Fifteen Stars."

"Less than a year?" Ma Juntie gently rubbed his forehead, repeatedly sucking in cold air. "So, besides 'Thirty-six Hours,' there are still people this formidable in the world."

The Sacred Martial Hall had its own unique rules since its founding. For example, there was the Outer Sacred Martial Hall and the Inner Sacred Martial Hall, and those who left the Sacred Martial Hall could not simply return whenever they wished.

To re-enter the Sacred Martial Hall, one either had to submit a written application in advance and receive approval from the Hall, or be chased back to the Hall to gain entry.

There was one other way.

As a sanctuary of martial arts, the character 'Wu' (Martial) naturally held significant importance. If a person did not arrive via the first two methods, only one path remained.

It was simple: one word! Fight!

The Sacred Martial Hall possessed a special passage guarded by its martial artists—a unique channel somewhat resembling the Eighteen Bronze Men of the Shaolin Temple described in Wuxia novels.

The difference was that the Shaolin Temple’s Bronze Men required those leaving to fight their way down the mountain; the Sacred Martial Hall's channel required fighting one's way back in.

Qin Fen had seen this regulation when he left the Sacred Martial Hall. Given the time constraints, submitting an application and waiting for approval was clearly too slow. Only the simplest method remained to enter the Sacred Martial Hall: fighting his way in.

This was the Sacred Martial Hall—a place where logic took a backseat to martial prowess! Even being a top disciple under one of the two great faction heads granted no privilege to ignore these rules, entering and exiting as one pleased.

Circling the island, Qin Fen arrived before a distinctive gate in the mountainside and stopped. He looked up at the millstone-sized character 'Fight,' sighed softly, and reached out to push the door.

Creeeeak...

The ancient, weather-beaten 'Fight' door slowly opened to either side as Qin Fen applied force, revealing a passage wide enough for five large trucks to pass abreast. The intense light within was even brighter than the dawn outside.

Inside the Sacred Martial Hall, the badges of dozens of martial artists in the Martial Discussion Department simultaneously emitted a dudu sound, bathing the area in a slow, red glow.

Two martial artists from the Martial Discussion Department who had been sparring looked at each other, seeing excitement reflected in their eyes.

"Hahaha, finally someone has come to challenge the gates!"

"Right! I wonder which unlucky soul is so confident they want to storm through like this."

"Don't fight me for it! I’m guarding the first gate!"

"Hey, Li Tiantian, go easy on him. Let him pass once you're done playing, so the rest of us can have a turn."

"Agreed! With Qiu Zhi, the Thousand-Catty Lock, as the final guardian, everything will be perfectly safe."

Dozens of martial artists rushed through the streets of the Sacred Martial Hall. The area they passed through seemed as if hundreds or thousands of heavy main battle tanks were rolling over it; large chunks of broken stone and asphalt flew into the air, and dust covered several streets long after they were gone.

Many martial artists poked their heads out of their rooms, watching the departing figures with envy. Gate challenges were rare events, and it was a shame that someone was challenging the gates precisely when it was their turn for scheduled training.

The wide passage echoed with a series of boisterous, heavy footsteps, blending with the reverberations in the tunnel like rolling thunder. Excitement and imposing power, unmasked, rolled from the depths of the tunnel.

Qin Fen slowly stepped into the entrance, gazing at a black dot rapidly approaching from the distance.

The approaching person’s speed was incredible. In a very short time, he charged toward Qin Fen like a fierce tiger, his face frozen in an expression of excited battle intent, fixed like stone.

Yes! Frozen! The excitement and spirited battle intent that had been so vibrant a moment before solidified instantly.

Li Tiantian stared at the challenger, dumbfounded—it was Qin Fen! The most legendary martial artist in the Sacred Martial Hall, second only to the Martial Venerable and the faction heads! The new-generation legend who had defeated the former legend, the Martial Maniac, on the blade's edge!

Outsiders might not know the news from the Sacred Martial Hall, but the Hall knew everything happening outside. Li Tiantian hadn't forgotten that shortly after Qin Fen left, news arrived of a challenge issued by Pei Chengjun, the Martial Arts Grandmaster of the New Dew Fist school.

Li Tiantian also hadn't forgotten that in the battle on Mount Halla, Qin Fen not only killed Pei Chengjun but also conveniently dispatched Jikun Haotian, the Martial Arts Grandmaster of New Karate, before heading to the Yanzei River shortly after.

Then, following an earth-shattering battle on the main peak of Qilin Mountain, it was completely collapsed. Qin Fen disappeared for over a month.

"Hello," Qin Fen raised both hands, cupped his fists, and nodded slightly. "Are you the guard for the first gate? Very well, I am ready. We can begin."

Li Tiantian felt a bitterness he couldn't articulate. After waiting for so long, a challenger had finally arrived. He had intended to make the challenger pay the price required to pass the gates, but he never expected the challenger to be the former legend of the Sacred Martial Hall, the super-nova who had consecutively defeated two Martial Arts Grandmasters on Mount Halla.

"I am ready too," Li Tiantian said, stepping aside to clear the immensely wide path for Qin Fen. "You win. You may pass."

"Thank you," Qin Fen nodded slightly and walked through the first gate with steps that were not particularly fast.

Li Tiantian watched Qin Fen’s retreating figure, overwhelmed by helplessness and frustration! He was only at peak Fourteen Stars, with a third-level control over True Qi oscillation. He had finally waited for a challenger, only for it to be such a fearsome individual.

Qin Fen was famous in the Sacred Martial Hall, incredibly famous, to a degree he himself was unaware of.

According to rumors, Qin Fen passed the most difficult 'Fight' gate with surprising ease.

Every guard’s face showed vivid excitement before seeing Qin Fen. When they realized the challenger was Qin Fen, every expression became fixed, as if carved from the same mold.

Their actions were just like Li Tiantian's: they immediately stepped aside.

It wasn't until the fourth-to-last checkpoint that Qin Fen encountered a different kind of guardian—a Stellar-level expert with Fifteen-Star strength!

This guardian was unlike the others. The moment he saw Qin Fen, the excitement in his eyes flared as if gasoline had met a spark. His Fifteen-Star strength erupted violently, the explosive True Qi making Qin Fen's martial arts uniform snap audibly.

"Legend of the Sacred Martial Hall! Come on! Let me show you the other Martial Arts Grandmasters of the Sacred Martial Hall! How can those Grandmasters outside compare to the Martial Arts Grandmasters within the Hall!"

Qin Fen did not reply. He shrugged his shoulders and unleashed his Sixteen-Star strength. This instantly stopped the expansion and frantic pulsing of the opponent's True Qi, and the intensely fiery eyes were extinguished as if doused by a dry chemical extinguisher.

The guarding Martial Arts Grandmaster was stunned. He remembered that when Qin Fen left the Sacred Martial Hall, his star strength was indeed Fifteen Stars—the same level when he fought the Martial Maniac to a standstill. How had he advanced a star rank just by taking a stroll outside?

What truly forced the guarding Martial Arts Grandmaster to yield was not just Qin Fen's Sixteen-Star strength, but the imposing aura that accompanied the release of his star rank.

Heavy, vast, and majestic! After standing opposite Qin Fen for just three seconds, the Martial Arts Grandmaster felt as if an boundless mountain was pressing on his back. If the confrontation continued, he knew his body would collapse without Qin Fen needing to lift a finger.

Force a fight? The guarding Martial Arts Grandmaster knew that against Qin Fen, he wouldn't even be able to exert eighty percent of his usual strength. What would be the point of fighting?

After his Sixteen-Star power was displayed, as Qin Fen walked down the passage, he noticed the remaining three guards had already automatically cleared the path.

Qiu Zhi watched Qin Fen exit the cave, shaking his head repeatedly and sighing, "Why did Qin Fen come back? His luck is truly good. The strongest person drawn by the system today for guarding duty was only at my Fifteen-Star level. If the system had drawn a Faction Head to guard the gate, what an interesting scene that would have been."

Qin Fen walked out of the cave, looking up at the rising sun in the east. He inhaled the purple qi rising from the east into his lungs, savoring the long-missed atmosphere of the Sacred Martial Hall, and thought to himself: Sacred Martial Hall, I have returned!

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