The Saint Martial Hall was often a place of quiet contemplation, where martial artists, individually or in groups, delved into the progress of their martial studies. Occasionally, the legendary Blade Mountain, once set aside, would witness decisive duels on its razor edges, intended to spark dormant potential through intense friction.

Today, however, the Saint Martial Hall was significantly more vibrant than usual. Dozens of Gate Keepers charged into the challenge arena like a startled pack of wolves, drawing envious glances from countless martial artists who eagerly anticipated seeing at which level these challengers would finally falter.

A large crowd gathered outside the challenge area, waiting for the excited Gate Keepers to return.

Half an hour into the challenge, the measured, unhurried footsteps of two individuals emerged from the long fissure of the pathway, moving as calmly as if strolling through their own backyards.

The footsteps drew nearer, and the crowd’s anticipation peaked. Whispers circulated: Could the challenger have been defeated only in the second-to-last stage? If so, that challenger was impossibly strong… The thought flashed through everyone’s minds just as vague figures appeared in the distance. Before the majority could clearly discern who was approaching, one martial artist, specifically trained in acute vision, let out an immediate shriek, pointing a finger toward the distance with an expression of shock as if seeing a ghost.

“Heavens! It’s him!?”

The crowd turned in confusion toward the startled martial artist. “Who is it?”

The martial artist who spotted Qin Fen offered no reply, remaining utterly astonished while staring at him, speechless for a long moment.

Qin Fen walked several hundred meters further before the other martial artists could clearly identify the challenger. Instantly, the entire assembly froze on the spot, mouths agape as they watched Qin Fen approach, pass by them, and then move into the distance… Qin Fen! The former myth of the Saint Martial Hall had returned!

Walking the streets of the Saint Martial Hall, Qin Fen occasionally glanced at his surroundings, memories of days past slowly surfacing in his mind. He sighed inwardly: Although he hadn't resided here long, he felt a profound sense of home. If not for the Snake King, and the kindness shown to him by Zhao Huzi, he wouldn't care about the military’s opinion now; he would have long since broken away and single-handedly assaulted Saturn to seize the Divine Beast Martial Artist title, so what if he did?

In this era, for many selfish individuals, gratitude was irrelevant; they were their own sun, and the world was expected to revolve around them. Kindness shown to them was simply deserved, and they needn't remember it.

But for certain people, gratitude was an invisible tether. The fact that Qin Fen had reached this point was proof that he absolutely never forgot his roots in how he conducted himself as a person!

Passing familiar buildings, Qin Fen did not immediately head toward the residential sector, Block Wei Hao. His steps were resolute as he walked toward the room of Ferreiro in the Invitation Department of the External Affairs Hall.

As a disciple, the very first thing upon returning to the Saint Martial Hall should naturally be to see the two masters who had treated him exceptionally well. Without their help in taking him as a disciple, how would he have qualified to freely enter the Martial Arts Pavilion? And where would his current martial power and foundation have come from?

One must never forget one's origins! This was true for Zhao Huzi of the military, and equally true for his two masters in the Saint Martial Hall.

Qin Fen had visited the Invitation Department of the External Affairs Hall several times; he wasn't intimately familiar with it, but it wasn't entirely strange either.

The beautiful receptionist seated at the front desk in the main hall could no longer maintain her usual composure when she saw Li Fen appear before her. Her gaze was vacant as she stared at Li Fen, her red lips parted to an exaggerated degree.

“Hello,” Qin Fen greeted, giving a slight nod. “Is my master in?”

The beauty paused for several seconds, then shook her head repeatedly. “Lord Ferreiro is not here; he went to see Lord Di Shitian.”

Di Shitian? Qin Fen nodded his thanks, turned, and headed toward the office building of Di Shitian Aziya in the Law Enforcement Department of the Internal Affairs Hall. He secretly rejoiced: This was perhaps better; he could see both masters in one go.

“Bored…”

“Bored… So incredibly bored!”

From the office of Di Shitian Aziya, in the Law Enforcement Department of the Internal Affairs Hall, sounds resembling wolf howls occasionally echoed.

Aziya sat back in a cane chair, his brow deeply furrowed in concentration as he stared fixedly at Moramroga Ferreiro, who was occupying his primary seat and emitting frequent long sighs.

Aziya felt utterly helpless. Not long after Qin Fen left, his office chair would forever be occupied by one person—a person Aziya had initially disliked, and frankly, still didn't care much for now—Moramroga Ferreiro.

Aziya was truly exasperated. Initially, Ferreiro would have a secretary fetch a key to open the door. When Aziya designated him a persona non grata, making it impossible to enter even with a key, this Moramroga simply kicked the door open, forcing his way in through sheer physical destruction.

The doors of the Saint Martial Hall were exceptionally sturdy, existing as a special, highly resistant barrier for most martial artists. But that was only from the perspective of those martial artists.

To Mo Zuloga, the Head of the Invitation Department of the External Affairs Hall, those reinforced doors were still as fragile as a sheet of tissue paper, utterly useless!

Aziya watched Ferreiro with cold eyes. Mixed within his helplessness was a sliver of recognition. Ever since Qin Fen departed the Saint Martial Hall, Xue Tian had emptied out their martial arts manuals, went around harassing female martial artists, leading to the simultaneous intervention of the Six Stars of Saint Martial and the Martial Venerable, who had him apprehended. After that, the two masters had fallen into a state of profound boredom.

They had intended to turn their attention to training Brooks, Solomon, and the other disciples they had accepted around the same time. However, they discovered that the Heads of the other departments had acted preemptively, dividing up these exceptionally talented youths. Each Head had approached them, ignoring whether they wished to become disciples, directly using various temptations and promises to bring them into their lineage, immediately whisking them away for intensive secluded training.

They hadn't given Aziya and Ferreiro any time to react. By the time they realized what was happening, these individuals had cheekily chosen to enter seclusion.

Although the Heads of the Saint Martial Hall were immensely powerful, they were still human! After witnessing the performance of Qin Fen and Xue Tian, anyone who hesitated clearly had their brains kicked by a mutated wild donkey.

Among them, the deeply contemplative Solomon was the luckiest. Jenny Zhan Ni, the Hall Master of the External Affairs Hall, disregarded the fact that she was Ferreiro’s superior and directly swooped in to claim Solomon as a disciple.

While the Heavenly Maiden Jishi didn't enter seclusion, Aziya and Ferreiro truly couldn't afford to demand the person from this Hall Master. This instantly relegated the pair to the most bored two Heads in the Saint Martial Hall.

“Bored~~~~~~”

Ferreiro let out another mournful wail. Aziya’s brow knitted deeply, and the lightbulb in the room suddenly shattered with a pop.

Di Shitian, of the Law Enforcement Department of the Internal Affairs Hall, sadly realized that ever since this Ferreiro started clinging to him and appearing every day, his self-control and composure had deteriorated drastically. A few days prior, the lightbulbs would only flicker violently several times before dying, signaling the end of their lifespan.

Today, however, the bulb couldn't withstand the electrical current at all; it was instantly overloaded and exploded.

“Bore…” Before Ferreiro could even finish half a syllable, the body reclining on the chair suddenly sprang up. At the same instant, Di Shitian straightened his spine, surprise momentarily overcoming his eternally placid features as he gazed intently at the doorway.

Thump, thump, thump… A slow, rhythmic knocking sounded. Uncontainable delight lit up the eyes of both Ferreiro and Di Shitian, and they spoke simultaneously: “Enter.”

The door opened, and Qin Fen stood outside, smiling, performing the disciple’s salute toward the two Heads of the Saint Martial Hall within.

“Hahahaha! It really is you!”

Ferreiro leaped up excitedly from behind the desk. The chair, unable to bear the force of the Head, who had forgotten to temper his strength in his excitement, disintegrated into powder without even a chance to creak.

Di Shitian stood up with a look of happiness, nodding gently toward Qin Fen. Ferreiro rushed forward and enveloped his disciple in a powerful bear hug—the disciple who brought his master such great honor in the Saint Martial Hall.

Great honor! After Qin Fen’s actions at Mount Hanla circulated throughout the Saint Martial Hall, martial artists at the Head level and above convened a special meeting to discuss the matter. At that time, Di Shitian and Ferreiro were radiant; the room, which had been dimly lit, seemed flooded with light as if two thousand-watt bulbs had been switched on, powered by the sheer joy on their faces.

Even the other Heads, no matter how well-practiced their composure, couldn't help but cast envious glances at the caliber of the disciple belonging to these two.

“Eh? Kid, you…”

Ferreiro circled Qin Fen, making continuous clicking sounds of appreciation. Di Shitian, whose eyes had been shining with joy, now reflected surprise. He scrutinized Qin Fen from head to toe, and the look of astonishment gained a layer of relief, overlaid with an even greater sense of pride.

Indeed! Pride! Di Shitian couldn't help but feel proud. When Qin Fen left the Saint Martial Hall, his star rating was fifteen stars. During the fierce battle on Mount Hanla, he was still fifteen stars. Yet, his current state upon return was sixteen stars!

What thrilled the two great masters even more was Qin Fen’s demeanor—profound and mysterious, giving off an aura of unfathomable depth.

“Come in, sit down, come in,” Ferreiro urged, dragging Qin Fen toward the room. Only then did he notice the woman standing behind him. “Hey? Who is this?”

“My friend.”

“That’s against regulations…”

“Listen, Di Shitian, are you ever going to stop? Your disciple finally comes back, and the first thing you do is spoil the mood.”

“Against regu…”

“Enough, just stop talking!” Ferreiro raised a hand. “I’m taking Qin Fen and his guest out of the island right now. After all, I am the Head of the Invitation Department of the External Affairs Hall. Surely inviting an individual on official business follows the rules? You stay here and live by your blasted rules.”

Ferreiro turned to leave but felt the corner of his robe being tugged. He turned back to see Di Shitian’s purplish-red face exhibiting a very subtle, special flush of red.

“Issue her an invitation card and process the paperwork.”

Aziya’s voice was as cold as ever, but Ferreiro could discern that his old rival, who never yielded an inch, was uncharacteristically choosing to concede because of their shared disciple, Qin Fen.

“What is your name?”

“Lin Ling…”

Ferreiro suppressed a laugh as he departed. He dared not make Di Shitian look too foolish. As he moved with incredible speed, Ferreiro recalled Di Shitian’s initial resistance toward Qin Fen and the gradual shift in his attitude, even to the point of circumventing rules to get things done.

“This kid Qin Fen… truly a miraculous young man,” Ferreiro muttered to himself, completing the necessary procedures for Lin Ling. In doing so, Lin Ling unintentionally set the record for the fastest person to receive an invitation and enter the Saint Martial Hall.

Simultaneously, Ferreiro knew Lin Ling would also break a record previously set by Qin Fen—the time interval between joining the Saint Martial Hall and leaving it.

Ferreiro zipped back to Aziya’s office, unceremoniously shoving Di Shitian aside with a heavy landing. He stated bluntly, “You’ve hogged the disciple for a while; it’s my turn to have some fatherly closeness.”

Di Shitian responded without hesitation, delivering a sharp hand-chop toward Ferreiro. He had tolerated this man for too long during these past days. Now that his disciple had finally returned, this guy dared to snatch him? Di Shitian would not tolerate it!

Ferreiro crossed his arms to block the chop and drove his head forward in a tackle toward Di Shitian, muttering continuously, “What? You finally want to fight? Good! Let the disciple see which of his two masters is truly superior.”

Di Shitian made no effort to hold back, using the elbow of his chopping arm to push outward, aiming to smash Ferreiro’s head-butt.

At this moment, the two Heads of the Saint Martial Hall demonstrated with action what the true strength of a Head entailed. Although they didn't exert much true internal force, the offensive and defensive maneuvers as they remained seated were incredibly fast, earning continuous praise from Qin Fen.

Initially, it was only the sofa in the room that groaned. Soon, the floorboards followed suit. Next, the entire building began to groan, and Qin Fen had no doubt that soon the surrounding earth would tremble.

Lin Ling slowly rose and took a step back, watching the two Heads of the Saint Martial Hall in silence, making no comment.

The fighting ceased, and so did the groaning… Both Heads showed slight embarrassment. Lin Ling had yielded the seat next to Qin Fen.

“Hehe, this little girl is interesting,” Ferreiro quipped, leaping to the spot Lin Ling had just vacated. “Worthy of being my disciple’s confidante.”

Lin Ling’s expression remained placid, as if she hadn't heard Ferreiro’s words, yet her pupils contracted almost imperceptibly at that very moment.

“Kid, you haven’t returned just to check on this old, young bone and Di Shitian’s old bone, have you?”

Aziya ignored Ferreiro’s chatter. Qin Fen’s appearance was already a cause for immense happiness. As for the recent provocation, he would settle scores with Ferreiro later.

Qin Fen nodded his head slowly. “I have returned this time to invite Xue Tian and the others to leave the Saint Martial Hall and accompany me to Saturn. Before that, I naturally had to come pay my respects to my two masters.”

“Saturn? The Divine Beast!”

Ferreiro jumped off the sofa in sheer excitement, his entire being buzzing with extreme fervor as he rapidly fired off questions: “You’re going to Saturn to contend for the title of Divine Beast Martial Artist?”

“Yes.”

Smack! Di Shitian said nothing, but he brought his large hand down heavily onto Qin Fen’s shoulder. The crisp, powerful sound reminded Qin Fen of the very first time he met Di Shitian, when the master made a similar gesture while agreeing to take him as a disciple.

Through that single clap on the shoulder, Qin Fen could feel all of Di Shitian’s care, approval, and encouragement concentrated in that one strike.

Facing his master, Qin Fen did not use his internal energy to resist. He subtly pulled the corners of his mouth slightly. His master always lost control of his strength when excited. The power of that palm strike carried a formidable Heaven Thunder force; if his True Yang Qi hadn't automatically entered his body for self-protection, he probably would have fainted on the spot from the pain.

The only thing Qin Fen felt fortunate about this time was that the sofa beneath his rear didn't let out a groan and collapse as it had previously.

“Excellent!”

Ferreiro’s roar shook the entire building. The martial artists below looked up toward the upper floors, wondering what Lord Ferreiro, who disturbed Head Di Shitian daily, was up to today.

“However…” Ferreiro snapped back to attention and looked at Qin Fen. “You should go by yourself; there’s no need to drag your friend along, is there? Are you scared?”

Qin Fen shook his head. “I looked for them for two reasons. First, I trusted that if they knew I was going to Saturn, some might want to come along; as their friend, I was obliged to notify them. Second, the military’s examination task requires me to find ten companions. Different levels of strength yield different points. If the total score is insufficient, even if I am not eliminated…”

“To hell with the military!” Ferreiro waved his hand repeatedly. “Kid, you should just leave the military altogether. You are now a peak sixteen-star Stellar-level Martial Arts Master. In terms of both strength and reputation, you’re no longer some rookie. There’s no need to put up with the nonsense from those guys in the army.”

Qin Fen smiled. “General Zhao and the Snake King took very good care of me. Many of my affairs were handled or shielded by them.”

“Oh~~” Ferreiro’s angry expression lessened by thirty percent as he nodded repeatedly. “If there’s a debt of gratitude, then indeed, you can’t just walk away. You are right to handle it this way.”

“Haha!” Ferreiro’s expression suddenly changed, his eyes and brows completely creased in a smile. “I am extremely, extremely happy that you came to find friends to accompany you!”

“Happy?”

Qin Fen glanced beside him. Di Shitian, who never fully aligned with Ferreiro, was now slowly nodding too, a deep sense of agreement etched on his face.

“Your friends are no longer residing in Block 122 of the Human Character Zone.”

Qin Fen blinked again. Assignments for rooms in the Saint Martial Hall were never altered once issued. Had Solomon and the others also left the Saint Martial Hall? But if they left, why hadn’t they contacted him?

“This whole affair is actually your fault!” Ferreiro said with a touch of feigned anger. “It’s because your fame shone too brightly that your group of friends also came under scrutiny. The moment you left the Saint Martial Hall, they were immediately snapped up by the other Heads! It has left me and Di Shitian bored to death every single day.”

Di Shitian nodded again in agreement.

That’s how people are. When they are habitually bored, they don't notice it. But once a non-boring event occurs, bringing joy for a period, and then that event disappears, people feel an overwhelming sense of boredom.

Di Shitian, who never paid attention to boredom, had to admit that because of Qin Fen’s arrival and subsequent departure, he had started to detest the feeling of boredom.

“They…”?

“After you left, they were all tricked by the various Heads into intensive closed-door training,” Ferreiro sighed. “The only time they saw the outside world was during your battle at Mount Hanla; that was the first time they emerged from seclusion. Now, these guys are the treasures of those respective Heads. When they leave seclusion, they’ll be as bored as I am! Come on, let’s go! I’ll take you!”

In the military headquarters of Shengjing, Zhao Huzi stared out at the dark sky. “I suppose Qin Fen has reached the Saint Martial Hall by now? Betrayal is a form of growth. I hope this growth doesn't wound him too deeply.”