Qin Fen walked behind Ferrero and Di Shitian, his mind still reeling from the news the two Department Heads had just delivered—it was utterly astounding.

Any martial artist joining the Sacred Martial Hall knew that securing a master here was no easy feat. To be taken on by a Martial Arts Grandmaster was often attributed to ancestors bringing great fortune, but to be accepted by a Department Head… “…even if someone’s ancestral tomb was on fire, they still might not get accepted into the lineage.

The Department Heads of the Sacred Martial Hall were powerhouses who had fought their way through deadly battles, representing an elite core of the Hall’s premier fighting strength.

In the urban centers of the Federation, a Martial Arts Grandmaster might open a school and accept students, but the number of direct disciples taken was minuscule. This wasn't just due to a lack of suitable pupils; it was also a symbol of status. Normally, the Department Heads of the Sacred Martial Hall carried themselves with such lofty arrogance that they wouldn't deign to notice someone’s background.

Competing for a disciple? Since the founding of the Sacred Martial Hall, aside from the Martial Maniac and Qin Fen, no one had ever enjoyed such treatment.

Qin Fen was amazed, yet thrilled for the opportunities others were receiving. The martial artists who managed to become heads of a department were all undeniably true powerhouses.

Qin Fen had encountered three Department Heads: Ferrero, Di Shitian, and Asura! Any one of them possessed profound martial arts foundations. Though he hadn't met the others at the same level, he presumed they all had their own unique and formidable skills.

The Sacred Martial Hall was vast. Following the unhurried pace of the two Department Heads, Qin Fen walked for about twenty minutes before stopping before a specific building.

It was a highly unusual structure. From the outside, it looked like a perfect sphere split down the middle, resembling a large bowl inverted and settled upon the ground.

The bizarre architectural style exuded an indescribable aura of its own era, yet the exterior was clearly shadowed by high technology. Hovering above the structure were the massive characters: “Intelligence.”

The Intelligence Department—one of the three internal departments under the Sacred Martial Hall—was specifically responsible for gathering various forms of intelligence and supplying them to the Invitation Department.

Qin Fen had heard of the head of the Intelligence Department before. According to the titles assigned to the Eightfold Followers, the head of Intelligence was known as the Dragon King, Ba Baiying, who had firmly occupied that position for many years.

The door to the Intelligence Department suddenly lifted upward, not waiting for Qin Fen to approach and knock, opening abruptly like a massive floodgate being released.

The moment the door swung open, Qin Fen’s skin registered an intense, chilling battle intent. The killing aura felt like solid knives! It pierced through spatial distance, aiming directly at the heart of Qin Fen’s chest.

Thump! There was a dull sound in the air. Qin Fen stepped back half a pace, his gaze fixed cautiously on the man emerging from the room.

He wore a long robe as white as snow! His black hair trailed past his waist! His eyes were colder than the deepest winter frost, enveloped entirely by the chill of the ‘Ice Soul.’ His long black hair moved without wind, swaying left and right with his advancing steps.

The Head of the Sacred Martial Hall’s Intelligence Department! The Dragon King, Ba Baiying!

A piercing, spectral shriek burst forth from the room behind Ba Baiying, a sound that seemed utterly inhuman!

The door snapped shut instantly, cleanly severing that agonizing howl from the outside world. “Dragon King, what is the meaning of this?” Ferrero instantly flashed forward, positioning himself in front of Qin Fen. Di Shitian also silently blocked the space between Qin Fen and Ba Baiying, his face grim and wary as he stared down the Dragon King. It was clear that if there was no satisfactory explanation, they were ready to turn hostile on the spot.

As mentors, they absolutely could not tolerate their disciple being bullied right in front of them! Especially since Qin Fen had not come here to deliver a challenge.

“What is my meaning?” The Dragon King’s icy eyes held a burning anger, creating an inexplicable sense of contradiction. He raised his arm, his index finger slicing like a sword through the space occupied by the two Department Heads, pointing directly at Qin Fen: “I want to kill him.” The frigid words roared from the Dragon King’s mouth, and the very air seemed to instantly freeze solid!

No one doubted that the head of the Intelligence Department was serious. The Dragon King truly intended to kill someone!

Qin Fen remained silent, watching the enraged Dragon King, making no move. In the brief moment the door opened and closed, that piercing, agonizing shriek… even after days apart, he could recognize it as the sound of the Little Dragon King, Yang Lie!

Qin Fen knew his companions well. Yang Lie was more lively than most, but his resolve was no less firm than the quiet Solomon and the others. During the intensive training sessions under Asura for days, they had all endured inhuman rigors; they had screamed and groaned, yet Qin Fen had never heard Yang Lie’s roar sound so tragic!

Yes, tragic! Even separated by walls, without seeing the Little Dragon King Yang Lie, merely hearing his voice confirmed that Yang Lie was in an extremely abnormal state.

A single shriek! It penetrated the door, which was equipped with superb soundproofing. The Dragon King’s ear twitched slightly. His expression immediately solidified into a sheet of ice, his lips and eye corners spasming frequently. A light of deep heartbreak flashed through his eyes, surging like monstrous waves across a profound ocean.

Gulp… Ba Baiying’s Adam’s apple convulsed several times, his eyes flashing with lethal intent. He strode toward Qin Fen, the images of the two Department Heads absent from his pupils: “Move aside, or I will kill you both.” Ferrero and Di Shitian were momentarily stunned. The usual Dragon King, Ba Baiying, despite practicing his self-created ‘Extreme Deep Chill’ technique, was always very kind-hearted, maintaining excellent relations with the other Department Heads, and even speaking gently to junior martial artists. Why was he suddenly intent on killing Qin Fen upon sight today?

“Dragon King…” “…Masters, please stand aside. I have something I need to consult with Head Dragon King about.” Qin Fen’s voice broke the tension. The two Department Heads exchanged a glance, retreated behind Qin Fen with three parts reluctance, remaining ready to defend. If the Dragon King intended to carry out a full-scale execution, they would certainly intervene!

Qin Fen was strong, possessing supreme power among the younger generation, but pitted against a Department Head… Ferrero and Di Shitian were not optimistic about his chances. To attain the position of Department Head required extraordinary capability and experience. As for biological weaponry or combat stimulants, anything Qin Fen possessed, how could such a formidable martial artist leading a department not have? Qin Fen was merely at the peak of the Stellar level, whereas the Department Heads of the Sacred Martial Hall were all Great Stellar level martial artists!

“Consult?” Ba Baiying’s eyes flared with chilling light. His ankle shifted into a Dragon form gait; the thirty-meter distance between them seemed to vanish. The air behind him ruptured, tunnels quickly refilling with roaring sounds. A technique, ‘Fire Refining the Golden Elixir,’ spewed down from above. A shrill dragon roar tore through the air, as if desperately ripping a thousand slits into the atmosphere.

Ba Baiying attacked instantly with lethal intent. His eighteen-star martial power enveloped Qin Fen, like countless stars simultaneously plummeting!

Eighteen stars? Qin Fen’s scalp prickled, the black hair on his head shooting up like a porcupine defending itself! His Inner Truth moved, transforming his skin into a glass-like Jade Ice, faintly glowing across his body. His arms crossed left and right, executing ‘Coiling Silk and Entangling Tendrils’ as he met Ba Baiying’s Fire Refining Golden Elixir head-on.

Bang!

The moment his palms connected with the Dragon King’s arms… the seemingly silent coiling action erupted in a massive blast. Qin Fen’s arms wrapped around the attack like vines, immediately blunting the sharp radiance of the killing golden elixir.

Ba Baiying suddenly released the tension in his ankle! The ground within a one-meter radius instantly pulverized into dust. He twisted his lower back, suddenly throwing his weight, a series of sharp cracking sounds echoing like firecrackers on New Year’s Day. Qin Fen’s feet lost purchase on the ground; propelled by the force of the expelled elixir, his arms were thrown free from Ba Baiying’s grasp, and his body shot backward like a cannonball.

Three hundred meters away, Qin Fen’s feet slammed onto the ground, carving out another fifty meters of distance before his retreat finally halted. The tracks left by his digging feet were clear, resembling furrows plowed by an old ox, stretching fifty meters long and a good half-foot deep.

Hm? A hint of surprise flickered in Ba Baiying’s murderous eyes. His Fire Refining Golden Elixir had actually been ensnared, forcing him to use the Golden Dragon’s Elixir Eruption strike against his opponent. He hadn't expected that two successive attacks wouldn't kill his opponent. As he prepared to move again, someone had already blocked his path.

Two waves of overwhelming, terrifying killing intent enveloped the Dragon King entirely.

Qin Fen’s blood surged, his arms feeling numb. He gasped for air, staring at the distant Dragon King, Ba Baiying.

This was the strength of a Sacred Martial Hall Department Head! They could strike with such ferocity at any moment without needing to gather power. His ‘Coiling Silk and Entangling Tendrils’ technique had only managed to withstand half of the strike!

Taking a deep breath, Qin Fen’s body immediately returned to peak condition. The Inner Truth that made contact during the clash had shattered completely—something he had never experienced before.

Di Shitian, Aziya, stared coldly at the Dragon King, Ba Baiying. A grim killing aura rose from his purple-blue face, accompanied by crackling sounds as violet-blue electrical arcs exploded around him, like thousands of vipers tasting the air with flickering red tongues.

“Advance one more step, and you die!”

As Aziya spoke, a pillar of purple electrical light shot straight into the sky, seemingly intending to punch through the clouds. The area spanning several li was bathed in this purple electric glow.

Di Shitian, the legendary Thunder Emperor! A god who commanded lightning! When the controller of lightning became enraged, the heavens and earth would change color.

Aziya was furious. The disciple he had finally taken on—and Ba Baiying was technically Qin Fen’s martial uncle by seniority—was attempting murder right in front of him? If this were an enemy faction, it would be Qin Fen’s own mess to clean up, but this was one of their own acting so ruthlessly. This was too much!

“A…zi…ya…”

As the Dragon King spat out Di Shitian’s name word by word, the cold vapor he exhaled was visible to the naked eye!

Qin Fen leaped over Di Shitian, planting himself squarely between the two Department Heads and the Dragon King. He cupped his hands toward the killing-intent-drenched Dragon King: “Head Dragon King…”

“Die!”

Seeing Qin Fen, Ba Baiying offered no words, merely reaching out with five fingers spread like dragon claws, delivering a piercing palm strike through the air!

A large section of the air instantly froze solid!

Qin Fen snapped his mouth shut, his Electric Steps activating instantly. He vanished from his spot like smoke, Ba Baiying’s palm strike freezing only the afterimage Qin Fen had left behind.

“What happened to Yang Lie?”

Now a hundred meters away, Qin Fen urgently questioned, “What happened to Yang Lie?” Against Ba Baiying, Qin Fen felt no fear! Even with the massive gap in star-level strength and the near-zero chance of victory, he felt no dread. But hearing Yang Lie’s tragic roar had put a knot of worry in his stomach.

“Yang Lie?” The Dragon King’s eyes, filled with chilling murderous intent, showed a rare flicker of tenderness, which was immediately overtaken by even deeper heartache. His hands clenched into fists, trembling. His entire body shook!

Blocked by Di Shitian and Ferrero, it was impossible for Ba Baiying to instantly lunge and kill Qin Fen. “The trembling in his arms quickly spread throughout his body.” Qin Fen!” Ba Baiying bellowed, channeling his internal energy, his roar scattering the clouds overhead into nothingness. “You… you…” Ba Baiying’s chest heaved violently. The way he looked at Qin Fen suggested the hatred of a man whose father was murdered, his wife stolen, and his clan wiped out: “It’s all your fault… all yours. If it weren't for you, my beloved disciple wouldn't be suffering like this!” Ba Baiying was handsome; even in this extreme anger, he maintained an incredibly dashing appearance, but his face, which usually charmed women, was now contorted with rage. “Me?” Qin Fen froze, his face etched with confusion. “See for yourself!” Ba Baiying swept his arm through the air, and a massive projection screen materialized above Qin Fen’s head—it was an image of Yang Lie.

In a simple, spacious stone chamber, Yang Lie, clad in his crisp golden martial arts uniform, his golden hair parted down the middle past his nose, sweat beading on his forehead, was chatting on a communicable phone. On the screen was a middle-aged man with short black hair and a high nose bridge, possessing an Eastern aesthetic, bearing a resemblance to Yang Lie.

“Father.” Yang Lie bowed slightly to the man on the screen, his attitude respectful and humble. “I have an order for you. If Qin Fen comes looking for you to join his team, refuse immediately!” The slightly coarse, deep voice carried an undeniable tone of absolute authority from the middle-aged man.

Yang Lie’s body trembled slightly. He looked up at the middle-aged man on the screen and asked, “Why?”

“Why? Yang Lie, you never ask me why.” The commanding gaze was like a great mountain; even Qin Fen watching through the screen could feel the man’s authority. This wasn't authority born of martial power, but the subtle prestige cultivated by heading a large family for many years.

Yang Lie lifted his chin, his body trembling slightly: “Father, this time I need to know.”

“Fine, you will inherit the Yang family eventually.” The middle-aged man’s eyes sharpened instantly: “Profit! The Zuo family has ceded sufficient benefits to us, regarding Saturn…” Yang Lie listened quietly as his father explained the entire context.

The matter was not complicated, and Yang Lie quickly understood everything. After a few seconds of thought, he slowly straightened his back, his fists unconsciously clenching: “Father, regarding this order, please permit me to refuse.”

“What did you say?” The middle-aged man’s sharp, knife-like eyes flashed with surprise and incomprehension: “Yang Lie, do you know what you are saying?” Qin Fen’s eyelid twitched as he watched Yang Lie on the screen slowly nod: “Yes, Father. I know what I am saying. I refuse to obey this order.”

“Yang Lie!” A thunderous roar erupted, the pressure of years spent in command instantly manifesting. Yang Lie’s body shook as if electrocuted. Having grown up in America while adhering to the Confucian education of the Middle States, coupled with military discipline, Yang Lie had always followed his father’s arrangements. “Father,” Yang Lie’s body trembled violently, his neck growing stiffer: “Please allow me to explain the reason.”

“Speak!” The middle-aged man’s words remained brief, but the light flashing from his eyes already conveyed everything: no matter what Yang Lie said, he would not be moved. Family interests were paramount!

“Father, from your perspective, Qin Fen can bring you the greatest benefit.”

“Him? What does he have now? A fifteen-star Martial Arts Master? Son, you are already close to the Primal Chaos level, and you will soon enter the fifteen-star tier. He is just an individual martial artist, while the Zuo family is a massive power! Qin Fen cannot seize control of Saturn, and even if he did, he couldn't command it.” Yang Lie tilted his head even higher: “He has a future, an infinite future!”

“Future?” The middle-aged man let out a chilling laugh: “The future could also be nothing. Yang Lie, answer me now: if Qin Fen comes to find you, what should your answer be?”

“Father.” Yang Lie took several deep breaths and slowly stated: “Since I can remember, you have taught me that family interests surpass heaven. I have always followed your teachings, and I always believed you were right. Perhaps you truly are right. Over the years, I have had no friends; you told me friends were merely exchanges of interest. But I must tell you, there is a friendship in this world that cannot be exchanged for any object! I always thought such a friendship didn't exist, but now I know it truly does! Qin Fen is my friend. Abandoning a friend is abandoning oneself. If you want to hear my response, then I can tell you: if Qin Fen comes to find me, I will definitely go with him. No!” Yang Lie shook his head forcefully, wildly gesturing with his fists: “If Qin Fen doesn't come to find me, I will go find him! I will beat him soundly! I will tell him he shouldn’t treat his friends this way!”

“You…”

“Respected Father, please allow me this one indulgence. Even the greatest interests cannot compare to my friendship. This is the first time I have made a friend, the first time I’ve had a group of friends, and I am happy with them. So… goodbye…”

Yang Lie’s words stopped. He crushed the projection phone in his grip.

“Master, please prepare a Level Three Zhu Rong Space with infinite time for me. I need to strengthen my power. Yes! I need to strengthen my power before Qin Fen arrives.”

Yang Lie’s voice was slow and firm. Dragon King Ba Baiying’s body shook violently, the muscles around his eyes twitching uncontrollably. He cried out: “What did you say? A Level Three Zhu Rong Space? Infinite time? Yang Lie, do you know what you are saying? You can only stay in a Level Three Zhu Rong Space for two hours now; if you exceed that time, you will…”

“Master, remember the condition you agreed to when you took me as a disciple?” Yang Lie, incredibly handsome, smiled even more brilliantly now: “I know I can only endure two hours, but there is no time left. Qin Fen is coming soon. I am only at the peak of the fourteen-star level right now. Going out with him like this will only drag him down. I do not want to, and cannot, drag him down. Perhaps others have already received this news too; I don’t want to lose to those guys.”

“Perhaps Qin Fen won’t…” Ba Baiying tried to persuade him, but Yang Lie placed his index finger to his lips in a shushing gesture: “Master, Qin Fen will come for me, I can hear the sound of his plane landing. Yes, he will come, won’t he? We are friends, aren’t we? If he doesn’t come, I will go kill him. He knows I’ll wait for him, so he will come!”

“Master!” Yang Lie smiled again, even brighter and handsomer than before: “Level Three Zhu Rong Space. Please allow your disciple to be willful just this once, for the sake of my friend. Please allow me this indulgence.”

The door opened, and a fiery furnace appeared before Yang Lie. With a happy smile on his face, he slowly walked into the Zhu Rong Space.

Qin Fen’s fists had clenched without him realizing it; his fingernails had pierced the skin that knives couldn't scratch. Although he didn't know what the Zhu Rong Space was, the moment he saw the intensely hot flames, he understood why Yang Lie had let out such a terrible howl. The Little Dragon King Yang Lie, who cultivated the Extreme Cold internal arts, was entering an intensely hot space to cultivate his internal energy?

The image ended there. Ba Baiying glared hatefully at Qin Fen: “Do you know? Yang Lie has exceptional talent! He has a vast family waiting for him to inherit and boundless prospects! You truly do not regard Yang Lie as a friend. Seeing him break through like this for your sake, you just stood there motionless, not rushing in to drag him out. He has already been inside for nearly twenty hours! He will die…”

“He will not die! And I will not drag him out.”

Qin Fen gritted his teeth, blood slowly dripping from the gaps between his clenched fingers. He straightened his back and raised his head, speaking firmly: “I will wait for him here. I know! His request of me is that I stand here and wait for him! Since he wants me to stand here, then I will stand here! Yang Lie will definitely walk out!”