“Caesar. We have received word from the Zuo family—" "Is that so? Dear Aunt, then I command the family to speak with the Zuo family immediately!" "Caesar, you cannot do that. After discussion among the family members, it has been decided to accept the Zuo family's invitation." "My dear Aunt," you seem to have forgotten. Grandfather granted you temporary authority as head of the family. When I turn eighteen, the affairs of the Alexanders will be decided by me, Caesar!" The only reason I have allowed you to continue acting as regent these past few days, without reclaiming control of the family, is because I did not wish for other matters to distract me from my martial arts cultivation.” “Caesar, you—” “My dear Aunt, please remember, I am the true Patriarch. You may handle other matters however you wish, but when it concerns Qin Fen, it is not your place to voice opinions or make decisions!” “To stand in opposition to the Zuo family for the sake of a martial arts master with no background will cost us our future interests on Saturn.” “I, Caesar! Am the head of the Alexander family! Aunt, please execute my order!” “I am sorry, dear nephew, but if you insist on proceeding this way, I will issue a family mobilization order. Please do not forget our family tradition: if all members choose to depose you as Patriarch—” “Dear Aunt, I sincerely hope you do not commit such a foolish act. Please remember one thing: I dare stake the entire family to support my friend, so if you truly make any move, my friend will stand with me and return to the Alexander family to help me reclaim my position as Patriarch.” “Is that so? Dear nephew, you are the head of our ancient and vast Alexander family. From childhood, you possessed a brilliant and astute mind and received the finest, most perfect education. Why, at this crucial moment, are you so foolish as to trust in mere friendship? Have you forgotten that the most unreliable thing in this world is friendship? Only the equal exchange of interests brings true reliability.” “My dear Aunt—” There are some things in this world where the unexpected always occurs. I used to believe only in glory and profit, never in friendship, but people change.” "My dear nephew, if we compare strength, we are far, far inferior to the Zuo family—and this is not just about economic power, but martial arts masters as well. That is why I will not allow you to drag the family into an abyss. After you helped Qin Fen by the sea, I warned you once to be mindful of your situation, but it seems you disregarded my counsel.” "Is that so, dear Aunt? It seems you wish to make a wager with me? Then please prepare all your chips. Now, while I remain the leader of the Alexander family, I command that word be sent to the Zuo family—,” "My dear nephew, your command will last for forty-eight hours at most. After that, we will elect a new Patriarch, and you will receive orders from the new head.” "Is that so? Forty-eight hours? What a pity. It seems my position as Patriarch will remain firmly secured then.,”

The head of the Life Department, Kinnara, tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, observing the two young men below him in the department.

Beneath this massive structure, designed in the shape of a rice grain, stood two young men. One of them was Kinnara’s disciple: Caesar.

Today, Caesar wore a perfectly tailored warrior’s uniform. His hair was impeccably styled, and he stood with his hands behind his back, serene and composed, like an emperor of old.

Beside Caesar stood a young man with a somewhat cold expression. Kinnara recognized him as Du Peng, whom Ashura Fenghua Danyu had taken away previously.

Kinnara recalled that shortly after Caesar hung up the communication device and stepped onto the open ground downstairs to wait, Du Peng—who had been undergoing secret training with Ashura—appeared at Caesar’s side.

Under the sunlight, a group of three men and one woman approached. One of them was carrying a young man who was deeply asleep on his back.

Caesar smiled at the approaching Qin Fen. Du Peng, silent, walked forward with him. The small group quickly converged, and the unit, which had seemed slightly thin moments before, suddenly felt more complete.

The martial artists standing in the lobby of the Life Department felt a sudden wave of dizziness upon seeing this reunited squad.

Excluding one unfamiliar woman, everyone else—including the fourteen-star Du Peng—was a fifteen-star Martial Arts Master! Such strength was astonishing, not just outside the Sacred Martial Hall, but even within its confines!

The most shocking aspect was the average age of this squad: barely twenty years old at most!

A twenty-year-old Martial Arts Master was already a source of constant surprise; an entire small group of twenty-year-old Martial Arts Masters… The warriors watching in the hall felt their heads swim. Such a force, though perhaps not invincible, was more than capable of sweeping through many territories!

The most terrifying thing was their future! Apart from those high-and-mighty Grandmasters who had endured the hardship of martial arts cultivation, almost everyone believed they possessed the most brilliant and limitless future. “Next stop, the Martial Venerable Tower.”

With the group gathered, Qin Fen looked up at the soaring Martial Venerable Tower and took the first step. Caesar glanced sideways at the sleeping Brooks, shaking his head repeatedly. Everyone had their own fortuitous encounters, and once Brooks awoke, Caesar would definitely find time for a good sparring session to re-establish who was the strongest.

The Martial Venerable Tower could be called the most sacred place in the Sacred Martial Hall, the gathering point for the glory cherished by nearly all martial artists.

The aesthetic sense of the Martial Venerable was also questionable, at least in the eyes of Qin Fen and his companions. To construct the Tower in that peculiar, vertical shape, soaring into the clouds like a giant white spire, was decidedly unattractive.

The Martial Venerable Tower, unlike other departments, did not feature a grand hall or reception area.

There was no reception hall in the Tower. Despite the large number of martial artists in the Sacred Martial Hall, no one dared disturb the Martial Venerable here on a regular basis.

Behind the Martial Venerable Tower was a vast room, built in a style very similar to a miniature dome stadium. This was usually the Martial Venerable’s personal training chamber.

Recently, however, this miniature dome chamber had been occupied by someone else.

Almost every martial artist in the Sacred Martial Hall knew that the person training here was named Xue Tian. The reason he was “invited” to train here was not because his outstanding, super martial talent had attracted the adoration of the Martial Venerable and the Six Stars of the Martial Venerable, leading them to cultivate him personally.

The reason Xue Tian was here was less like a secluded special training and more like solitary confinement. Since Qin Fen left the Sacred Martial Hall, Xue Tian had found himself with too much idle time. After enduring the special training imposed by Ashura for so long, the super-genius martial artist, upon gaining freedom, immediately started seeking out female martial artists to chat with and flirt with. His fifteen-star Martial Arts Master strength, combined with his Wu Kong Jue ability, allowed him to move freely anywhere in the Sacred Martial Hall. Once, in pursuit of a female martial artist, Xue Tian flew up to her window on the thirty-fifth floor, guitar in hand, and serenaded her with love songs all night long using Wu Kong Jue.

His considerable strength, coupled with an unyielding, sticky persistence, caused many female martial artists to complain about the harassment.

At one point, Xue Tian even stood outside the room of the Chief Gandharva and sang love songs, resulting in him being soundly beaten by Gandharva, one of the three great beauties of the Sacred Martial Hall.

However, Xue Tian’s tenacity was too strong, or perhaps his boredom had reached its peak; he was completely unfazed by the beating. After simple bandaging at the hospital, he reappeared outside Gandharva’s window.

After being beaten thirty-six times in one week, rumors spread that even Gandharva feared Xue Tian’s pestering. She lodged a formal complaint with the Martial Venerable and the Six Stars of the Martial Venerable, threatening to ensure Xue Tian spent half a year recuperating in the hospital if they didn't step in to manage him.

Thus, the Six Stars of the Martial Venerable, who rarely revealed their true forms to the masses, collectively mobilized. Xue Tian immediately chose to evade and flee like a rat, thinking, If they can’t find me, I’ll go back to continuing my activities later.

Unfortunately, the fleeing Xue Tian unfortunately encountered a handsome young man who appeared youthful.

This handsome man, as it happened, was someone he recognized: the Martial Venerable, whom he had seen battle Qin Fen previously.

However, Xue Tian did not know that this seemingly young man was the highest authority in the Sacred Martial Hall. He mistakenly thought he could seek help from an old acquaintance.

The result was tragic for Xue Tian, who had been turning the Sacred Martial Hall upside down and causing chaos.

Most tragically, Xue Tian was tricked by the Martial Venerable into entering the miniature dome training chamber. Thus, the Martial Venerable managed to subdue this freakish genius, who had plagued the Sacred Martial Hall, without even needing to lift a finger himself.

Operating under the principle that the most dangerous place is the safest place, Xue Tian stepped into the miniature dome training chamber, where the Six Stars of the Martial Venerable, who had been searching for him for a long time but were constantly evaded by his stealth and evasion techniques learned from Qin Fen, were waiting.

Xue Tian was always sharp, but the imposing demeanor and calm expression of the Martial Venerable’s faction managed to deceive him, leading him right into the training chamber.

The Six Stars of the Martial Venerable, six supreme experts whose status was second only to the Martial Venerable within the Sacred Martial Hall, had collectively failed to capture a newcomer who had been in the hall for less than a year, repeatedly allowing him to escape their clutches.

What a loss of face this was!

The moment the Six Stars saw the “rat” they had pursued fruitlessly so many times willingly deliver himself to them, even those far from the chamber could hear the earth-shattering sounds of battle.

The six warriors, whose status and strength were second only to the Martial Venerable, devoted one hundred and ten thousand percent of their enthusiasm to "entertaining" this super martial arts genius whose excess energy led him to wreak havoc everywhere.

A week has seven days.

For six of those days, the Six Stars sacrificed their own training time to thoroughly entertain Xue Tian, preventing him from running off to do anything absurd due to his overflowing energy.

The seventh day of the week was reserved for the Martial Venerable himself to personally ‘exchange thoughts’ with Xue Tian.

Xue Tian secretly harbored intense hatred for the Martial Venerable. If it weren't for this foremost expert of the Sacred Martial Hall, he would still be freely pursuing Gandharva, one of the three great beauties.

Therefore, whenever Xue Tian encountered the Martial Venerable, he never held back. He would unleash all the hidden blades throughout his body. Only after being beaten until he lay flat on the ground, unable to muster the strength to even twitch a finger, would the Martial Venerable leave.

Yesterday was Sunday, which should have been the day only the Martial Venerable showed up to help Xue Tian release his excess energy. Xue Tian was prepared to fight and utterly defeat the Martial Venerable of the Sacred Martial Hall.

Instead, the seven figures who appeared in the miniature dome training chamber were the Martial Venerable and the Six Stars.

The doors of the miniature dome training chamber slowly opened wide. Qin Fen and the others gasped in surprise. This was no training chamber; it was the ruined battlefield of an interstellar war—pockmarks, smoke, small fires still burning, and katanas snapped off and plunged into the ground everywhere.

In the center of the battlefield lay Xue Tian, unmoving, his lifeless eyes fixed on the doorway. “Damn it.”

Xue Tian lay prone, looking at Qin Fen. A flicker of light crossed his helpless eyes. He tried to push himself up by his hands but found he truly possessed not an ounce of strength left.

“I knew it,” Xue Tian managed to say, fighting to keep his eyelids from closing. He spoke with weariness and helplessness: “Those seven guys yesterday were fighting like madmen. Looking at them, they all seemed hormonally imbalanced, like they were trying to violently assault me.”

Solomon carried Xue Tian on his back as they walked toward the door. He listened to Xue Tian chatter incessantly behind him:

“Turns out it was Old Qin coming! They were afraid they wouldn't have enough time to beat me today, so they all rushed in together. I’m so unlucky, Old Qin. You owe me compensation for my losses.” Yang Lie walked beside Solomon, a faint smile appearing on his face as he looked at the exhausted Xue Tian: “Xue Tian, you always claimed to be the second strongest among us. I think I’ll challenge you now.” “Bah!” Xue Tian shot Yang Lie a disdainful look: “Little Dragon King, can you be any more shameless?” “I’m carrying Xue Tian, so I should get the first shot,” Solomon, who usually spoke little, made a teasing remark that brought more smiles to the faces of the others. “Are you guys even human? Seeing me beaten like this, instead of vowing revenge, you’re taking the opportunity to kick me while I’m down.” Hearing Xue Tian’s complaint, everyone laughed together. Without Xue Tian, the atmosphere always lacked that indescribable, lighthearted joy. Even the usually taciturn Solomon became livelier because of Xue Tian’s presence. “All right!” Qin Fen happily spread his arms wide. The worries Zhao Hu Zi had expressed were now largely dispelled by the actions of the group: “Just one more person left!” Morad Cik, the head of the Resource Department, and disciple of Gandharva, one of the three great beauties of the Sacred Martial Hall. Regarding how to reach the Resource Department, Qin Fen’s squad now had a human guide, more accurate than any satellite positioning system: Xue Tian.

The Resource Department was a building shaped like a harp.

Xue Tian, carried on Solomon’s back, had somewhat regained his spirit thanks to the medicinal pills distributed by the others. Standing below the harp-shaped structure, he immediately shouted at the top of his lungs: “My beautiful goddess in my heart, Elder Sister Gandharva, your darling Xue Tian has arrived.” Qin Fen suddenly realized that the most terrifying attacks in the world were not the fists and kicks of Kirin or Masters; Xue Tian’s verbal attacks were the most dreadful assault in existence. With just that one sentence, everyone present felt goosebumps rise.

The large window at the top slowly opened. Gandharva, clad in a tight-fitting, light cyan warrior uniform, descended slowly from the air with a serene expression.

Gandharva was recognized as one of the three great beauties of the Sacred Martial Hall, listed alongside Ashura Fenghua Danyu and the sexy goddess Jennifer Jishi Tiannü.

Qin Fen had seen many beautiful women, but he had to admit that Gandharva, whom he was seeing for the first time, was truly stunning. If Fenghua Danyu possessed the beauty of a mature pseudo-loli, and Jennifer had a hot, sexy beauty, then Gandharva presented the beauty of music.

It was strange; although Gandharva didn't speak, Qin Fen felt as if he could hear music emanating from the air through her every movement. Just looking at her was like listening to the most beautiful music in the world.

Gandharva’s gaze swept over the assembled group, finally settling firmly on Xue Tian. A voice, melodious as music, slipped from her lips: “What? Do you want the miniature dome training chamber back?”

“Heh, what’s there to be afraid of?” Xue Tian straightened his slightly weak back. “If they keep pushing me like this, eventually I’ll be able to take them all down. When that time comes, I’ll be coming to steal you away.”

Gandharva’s eyes curved into crescents as she laughed. She took a slight step forward: “I look forward to that day. If you can truly capture me, that’s excellent. I won’t like a man weaker than myself.”

Bang! Xue Tian pounded his chest loudly: “Then you need to work on improving yourself, or you’ll soon be mine.”

Gandharva chuckled twice; her voice was as pleasant as ever. Her gaze shifted to Qin Fen: “Kid, are you here looking for Morad?”

Qin Fen slowly nodded. Having walked through the Sacred Martial Hall, almost all his friends were already waiting. Not seeing Morad this time gave him an inexplicable sense of unease.

Although Morad always boasted about killing Qin Fen, the moment he realized Morad wasn't here, Qin Fen felt a subtle pang in his chest.

“He left,” Gandharva stated plainly. “He received a call last night and left the Sacred Martial Hall.”

“Left?”

“Yes, he left.” Gandharva adopted a reminiscent expression. “I remember he resigned to me immediately after receiving the call, saying he had something urgent to do.”

“Qin Fen, I am truly curious, why is Morad so good to you?” Gandharva propped her chin on her hand, staring intently at Qin Fen. “Did he tell you what he was going to do? When I asked him, his reply was that he was going to kill someone—someone named Zuo Lin.”

Kill Zuo Lin! Qin Fen’s body shuddered violently, and his eyelids twitched uncontrollably. The Du family, capable of standing as an equal to Snake King Du Hen, was clearly a place where hidden experts abounded. Morad might have reached the fifteen-star Master level, but going to the Zuo family alone to kill someone was suicide!

Suicide? A sudden chill ran down Qin Fen’s limbs. Only at this moment did he truly grasp Morad’s motivation. During the New Recruit Competition exercise, Qin Fen had killed two of Morad’s comrades, leading Morad to set a goal of killing someone in return.

Xue Tian nodded slowly, having guessed Morad’s intentions. This young warrior from West Asia must have been immensely conflicted and pained. Qin Fen had selflessly imparted the deepest mysteries of martial arts; without Qin Fen, Morad would not have achieved his current formidable power.

However, Qin Fen was still the man who killed Morad’s former comrades! Morad was more tormented than anyone. That was why he chose to eliminate Zuo Lin! He knew perfectly well the power and resources of the Zuo family. Perhaps after this battle, he too would perish, providing closure for his former brothers, for himself, and for Qin Fen.

The group exchanged worried glances. Morad was usually a man of few words, but they knew he carried a heart riddled with contradiction. This unresolved conflict constantly built up pressure, always needing an outlet to explode.

When his family issued the command, Morad’s perpetually suppressed heart finally found its breaking point: Zuo Lin!

“Zuo Lin, is it?” Qin Fen took a deep breath and bowed to Gandharva. “Thank you for telling me such vital information.”

“What?” Gandharva raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “You plan to go after Morad? Even though I am in the Sacred Martial Hall, I know the Zuo family’s influence is not to be trifled with.”

“Not to be trifled with?” Qin Fen smiled, a genuine, hearty joy rising from his chest. “Then—I must see them for myself.” Xue Tian’s lips curved into a smile of admiration. “That Morad… so disloyal! If the Zuo family is worth seeing, he should have invited us along! This kid knew there was something good to see and snuck off by himself. How can we allow that? I want to see it too! But we can’t just let the kid off the hook for acting alone. What should we do when we see him?”

“What else?” Yang Lie pondered with a serious expression. “A good beating is the minimum.” “I think we should kick him in the face a couple of times too. That gloomy-faced little brat annoys me every day.” “Exactly! We should!”

Qin Fen also adopted a look of serious consideration. “Going to the Zuo family—I wonder if the military will reimburse travel expenses? If not, then Morad will have to pay for it.”

“More than just travel expenses!” Xue Tian crowed, wrapping his left arm around Qin Fen’s right shoulder, resting it on Qin Fen’s left shoulder. “We are people of status too! Even Old Qin had to personally invite us, let alone the Zuo family? Appearance fees are mandatory! If the Zuo family won't pay, then Old Mo is responsible for reimbursing us. Room and board costs—those must be included too.” Yang Lie wrapped his right arm around Qin Fen’s left shoulder, resting it on Qin Fen’s right shoulder. The group linked arms, forming a long horizontal line, and turned in unison toward the exit of the Sacred Martial Hall.

Gandharva’s long, slender fingers lightly stroked his chin, a flicker of surprised amusement dancing in his eyes; these young people were truly fascinating.

The human tower, constructed arm-in-arm, moved with surprising speed, already covering a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. Gandharva spotted Xue Tian on the far right of the formation. Xue Tian raised his free right arm high, the Iai blade in his hand gleaming as he roared toward the heavens: "From this day forward, watch us sweep the world clean!" Sweep the world clean! I demand monthly tickets! Everyone who has guaranteed monthly votes, please cast them for me! Together, let’s watch Team Qin Fen sweep the world!