The scorching heat that had baked the Sahara for millennia seemed to vanish in an instant, completely drained by Qin Fen's final, explosive burst. The visible shimmer of superheated air disappeared without a trace, and the clamor of battle echoing across the sky gave way to an abrupt, profound silence.

Qin Fen gasped for breath, his fists held steady in the same position, his torso rising and falling with each strained inhale. Motionless, he stared at Zuo Dongting, whose chest was now ripped open by a bloody chasm in the sky.

The massive wound pulsed; muscle tissue writhed and grew, rapidly knitting itself back together as if undamaged—the instinctive repair of a bio-engineered beast. While it could regenerate most organs, it couldn't conjure a new heart.

The flesh was healing, yet the vital spark of life would never return.

Zuo Dongting tumbled backward through the air, his focused gaze slowly diffusing. He looked up at the searing, azure sky, the whole reel of his life flashing through his mind, every lesson of martial arts coalescing into one final moment.

Without a heart, life was draining away. Zuo Dongting twisted in the air, gazing down at Qin Fen like a celestial being. He watched quietly, then slowly raised his hands. The fiery Qianyang Great Sun Technique erupted from his palms, the crimson glow akin to true fire!

Di Mo! The Serpent King’s heart spasmed violently. On the cusp of his final breath, Zuo Dongting actually attained the realm of Di Li Qi!

Deng... A streak of sand drifted up from the desert floor. Xue Tian stood before Qin Fen, gripping his broken saber. His inaction moments before wasn't due to inability, but because Qin Fen had insisted on fighting that battle himself; a friend's duty was to stand ready to step in at any moment. Even Xue Tian, outside of his berserk Nu Zhan state, was a force not to be underestimated!

Zuo Dongting floated high above, his disheveled hair and blood-soaked uniform failing to convey defeat. The iron-blooded aura of a soldier saturated the space around him as he slowly descended to the ground.

"Impressive..."

Zuo Dongting's boots touched the ground, his footing momentarily unsteady. He wobbled slightly before stabilizing himself. In his eyes, beyond the sheer disbelief, was only admiration—the pure appreciation of one martial arts veteran for the capability displayed by a junior, setting aside all notions of enmity or rivalry.

Zuo Dongting’s breathing had ceased; his pupils continued to scatter light. Death was fiercely drawing the very life force from his body. The Fengshen Bang had utterly shattered his internal organs, severing his last tether to survival. Even the integration with the Tier Four bio-beast could not compensate for the lack of a functioning heart.

The only thing keeping Zuo Dongting upright was the unique soldier's spirit—the Jun Hun!

"Di Li? Too late, alas." Zuo Dongting shook his head gently, dispersing the energy from his palms. He gave a slight thumbs-up. "Indeed, heroes emerge from the young..."

Zuo Dongting glanced at Xue Tian, then shifted his gaze to Caesar and the others, who were rushing over after tending to their wounds, their eyes finally settling on Qin Fen. "Young man, cherish these friends beside you. They are exceptional, not one bit less outstanding than you. Competition is good, but do not let the darkness in your heart twist its nature into something like what the Serpent King and I became."

Zuo Dongting slowly tilted his head toward the sky. As life was drawn out, his body began to age; wrinkles spread across his face, yet he smiled, as if reflecting on something. He sighed, then observed the group of young people clustered nervously around Qin Fen.

Zuo Dongting tidied his already tattered military uniform, trying to make it appear somewhat crisp. His eyes slowly closed. Every last trace of vitality left him. A sudden gust of sand erupted from his feet, shooting towards the sky and forcibly ejecting the Zhen Qi Qin Fen had implanted in his body. He stood motionless, completing the final journey of his life.

The man died, but his body did not fall. It stood like an unconquerable mountain spirit—the most basic military posture drilled into a soldier on their very first day. This was Zuo Dongting's final stance.

The Serpent King looked at Zuo Dongting’s towering form, standing steadfast against the world. A flicker of faint sorrow crossed his eye, instantly replaced by the icy coldness of the Arctic. He surveyed the battlefield after the fierce clash, still struggling to accept what he had witnessed. Zuo Dongting, a formidable Eighteen-Star martial artist with absolute combat experience and an unbreakable will, had fallen in battle! Before the fight, Du Hen had calculated countless scenarios; he believed Zuo Dongting held the greater chance of victory. Even if Qin Fen, allied with Xue Tian and the others, managed to severely wound Zuo Dongting, that would have been considered the best possible outcome.

But Qin Fen—no, these young people—each displayed capabilities far beyond expectation. In the final fierce exchange, Qin Fen had interwoven continuous shifts in his martial techniques, ultimately shattering Zuo Dongting's perfect Five Peaks Fist. The essence of the Five Sacred Peaks of the Divine Land could not withstand Qin Fen's final blow, a strike infused with genuine emotion and the heavy, unique power of millions of years in the Sahara.

Du Hen had never conceived of a death like this! He had previously speculated, in a mutual defeat scenario, that Xing Wunan would appear alongside Du Peng for a final, life-or-death struggle against Zuo Dongting.

Pfft... A trace of black blood spurted from the wound where the bullet had embedded itself in Qin Fen's body, pushed out slowly by the surrounding muscle contractions.

Xing Wuyi, sitting in the warship within the secret realm, spoke quietly, "Jessica, you can transfer control of the observation deck. Bring the ship toward the center of the battlefield." In the sky, Du Hen slowly descended. His appearance surprised none of the younger fighters; it seemed they had anticipated the Serpent King would materialize here.

Du Hen glanced at Zuo Dongting, then slowly walked toward Qin Fen, nodding slightly with a hint of praise. "Very well done. Truly perfect." Qin Fen watched Du Hen quietly. His eyes held neither anger nor sorrow, not even a flicker of emotion. He simply stared at Du Hen. Was this old man’s heart truly made of iron? Du Zhanpeng died, and he hadn't shed a single tear. Gun King and his most loyal subordinates died on his command, just like that.

"Good, very good." Du Hen surveyed the people beside Qin Fen. "The combined scores of these individuals mean you will undoubtedly claim the highest score. Saturn..."

"General Du." Qin Fen coldly interrupted. "I killed Zuo Dongting for you. The favor I owed you is now repaid. We are quits?"

"You are still a soldier..."

Clink. The Lieutenant Colonel's insignia was tossed onto the golden sand.

Qin Fen looked calmly at Du Hen. "From today forward, I, Qin Fen, am no longer a soldier."

"You had a brilliant future in the military," Du Hen said, looking at Qin Fen. "In time, you could command the armies of East Asia, perhaps even the entire Federation, becoming the first Supreme Commander since martial artists took prominence."

Qin Fen smiled. "Our paths diverge; we cannot work together."

The roar of the warship replaced the stillness of the scene.

Xing Wuyi slowly disembarked, followed by Chen Feiyu, who was dragging the listless Zuo Lin, with the distraught Butcher trailing behind them. This was Qin Fen's arrangement. Although Xing Wuyi had suggested that a Sixteenth-Star peak martial artist like Chen Feiyu didn't need to stay by his side, Qin Fen insisted he remain to prevent any unforeseen incidents.

"Father...!" The warship's roar could not drown out Zuo Lin’s throat-tearing cry. He struggled violently to break free from Chen Feiyu’s grasp. At Xing Wuyi's signal, the Colonel, missing his left arm, stumbled forward and froze before Zuo Dongting.

Death... Zuo Lin could feel absolutely no sign of life emanating from Zuo Dongting. He stared blankly at his grandfather, the man who used to carry the young Zuo Lin on his shoulders. In that instant, Zuo Lin forgot the life-or-death worries that had consumed him moments before. He gazed mutely for several seconds.

Suddenly, a sound of ultimate grief tore from Zuo Lin's throat, a roar aimed at the heavens. His eyes, mingling blood and tears, snapped toward Qin Fen, filled with a resolute killing intent. "Qin Fen! You killed my grandfather!"

Powered by an unknown source, Zuo Lin lunged toward Qin Fen, swinging a desperate punch at his head. Du Peng materialized silently behind him and slammed him to the ground. No matter how hard he struggled, Zuo Lin could not rise.

"Qin Fen! Kill me! Kill me!" Zuo Lin screamed hysterically, kicking up sand everywhere. "If you don't kill me today, I swear I will slaughter every last one of you! Kill me!"

How easy was it to kill a Seventeenth-Star Martial Arts Grandmaster? Zuo Lin craved a swift death. This wasn't the despair of an Eighteen-Star Grandmaster losing his path; this was the death of a loved one shattering all his reason.

Roaring, yelling, Zuo Lin thrashed as the yellow sands churned around him.

The Butcher staggered past the struggling Zuo Lin, lost in a daze, when he saw someone—a familiar figure who haunted his sleepless nights, a figure that appeared whether his eyes were open or closed: Zuo Dongting. The man who, with one order and the threat to his family, had sent two of the Butcher’s brothers to die on Saturn.

A flicker of clarity ignited in the Butcher's vacant eyes. His arms trembled as he quickened his pace, his heaving chest betraying the intensity of his emotion.

"Zuo Dongting... Zuo Dongting..."

The Butcher murmured, shuffling forward. He didn't register Zuo Dongting was dead; his vision contained only the man who occupied his every waking thought. Once, the Butcher believed that meeting him would render him too terrified to move. But upon seeing Zuo Dongting now, he felt no fear, completely eclipsing all emotion save pure rage.

"Zuo Dongting, give me back my brothers' lives!"

The Butcher roared and slammed a punch into Zuo Dongting's face. Bang! Zuo Dongting’s body was sent flying to the ground. The Butcher rushed forward two more steps, striking his face again. His hand muscles contorted rapidly, the Zhai Xin Shou plunging into Zuo Dongting’s body like a knife. He moved like a frenzied demon, ignoring the blood spattering his face, constantly screaming, "Give me back my brothers' lives... Damn it, give me back my brothers' lives...!"

"Butcher...!" Zuo Lin struggled, howling and roaring, "Butcher! I'll curse your ancestors! Let me go! Let me go!"

Du Hen turned to Xing Wuyi. "You are an intelligent man, one who understands the calculus of self-interest. Surely, as Qin Fen's friend, you would make a decision that maximizes profit for your companion?"

"Yes, General Du, I understand profit calculation best." Xing Wuyi pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, a faint self-mockery curving his lips. "But sometimes, I am also a fool. I know how to maximize gain, yet I deliberately choose the thorny path. General, we Chinese have an old saying: 'Our paths diverge; we cannot work together.'"

Du Hen smiled faintly, as if unaffected by whether his persuasion succeeded. His eyes shifted to Du Peng, who was pinning Zuo Lin down—this man, holding the essence of Du Zhanpeng mixed with his own Seven Star Immortal Thunder Art, had become the perfect crucible. "Since you say so, then I wish you success. But I must take my Zuo family member."

Xue Tian moved to block Du Peng, his broken Iaijutsu blade leveled at Du Hen, his voice cold. "Who is your Zuo family member, General?"

Hiss... The blade energy cleaved a straight line across the sand between them.

Xue Tian spoke calmly. "Cross this line, and you must be prepared for every single one of us to fight you to the death." Brooks stood silently, already positioned near Xue Tian, his massive war-blade radiating chilling killing intent. Yang Lie and Caesar stood shoulder-to-shoulder; their perfectly balanced Yin and Yang internal arts always unleashed astonishing combat power—even the mighty Zuo Dongting had suffered greatly from them. Chen Feiyu remained silent; a man forged in the death arenas needed no words; his almost tangible killing aura served as sufficient discourse. Solomon, the Sixteenth-Star, was the most excited of the young cohort. Whether Du Hen retreated or not was irrelevant; one look from Qin Fen, and Solomon would be the first to charge into battle.

Du Hen looked at Qin Fen, then at Xing Wuyi, and finally at this group of young people whose faces were pale but whose expressions were resolute. An intensely uncomfortable emotion welled up in him. In his life, he despised two types of people: those without brains, and those who possessed intellect and should make sound judgments, yet chose foolish responses. These young men were all elites, possessing infinite futures. Given the premise that infinite benefits could be gained through transactional exchange, they had deliberately blocked that road.

Trading two Sixteenth-Star Martial Arts Masters for Du Peng? Du Hen smiled faintly. Even an average person would recognize that as a profitable deal, but clearly, it wouldn't work on these youngsters right now.

"Friendship? Ridiculous!" Du Hen sneered. "In this world, people compete! Self-interest is inevitable! You are all elites, yet your current display is utterly naive!"

No answer was given, and none was needed. Standing tightly together was the only response required.

Jingling, jingling. The phone on Du Hen’s person rang. The projection showed smoke and fire engulfing a battlefield. Du Yu, wearing a general's uniform, spoke. "Father, Morade has been rescued."

"Good." Du Hen nodded, turning back to Qin Fen. "You owe me one favor."

Clap, clap, clap. Xing Wuyi began to applaud, his slow voice drifting out. "Impressive, impressive! The mantis stalks the cicada, and the viper lies behind. Serpent King, I truly forgot about you." He paused. "So, the people I sent... they were dealt with by you?"

Du Hen responded calmly, without any trace of pride. "A few words settled it." Xing Wuyi nodded. Morade had been under Zuo Lin’s control; because of Zuo Lin’s issues, they were hesitant. Once Du Hen took charge, they had no reservations. If the men Xing Wuyi sent had pressed the attack, they would have endangered Morade’s life, forcing them to withdraw.

"Pick up your insignia," Du Hen said, his tone never hurried. "I don't need you to actively serve the military, only to temporarily maintain your military status. I will grant you all of Saturn's military resources. You will be the absolute director there; no one in the military command will interfere. To put it plainly, you become Saturn's new warlord."

"Everything is yours. You bear no responsibility," Du Hen continued. "Strange? Nothing strange. If you were to go to Saturn now, the military would lose all opportunity. Rather than that, I'll give it to you. Thus, you owe me nothing, and I presume you agree. Very well, retrieve your insignia. You will only fight under the guise of a military officer. Morade is returned to you."

Xing Wuyi was surprised. Based on his understanding of the Serpent King, this general never engaged in unprofitable dealings. He could have simply withdrawn the forces from Saturn. Why?

Du Hen looked at Qin Fen. Qin Fen looked back at Du Hen.

After a one-second pause, Qin Fen stepped forward and slowly bent down to pick up the insignia from the sand.

Du Hen's eyebrows arched slightly. He was equally surprised. Given Qin Fen's upright nature, a refusal would not have been unexpected. But without a word, he picked up the insignia. Was all of this merely for Morade? For a young man who wanted to kill him, even if it meant lowering his own dignity? What kind of young man was this?

"Qin Fen," Du Hen paused, falling into a few seconds of thought. "Having loyalty and righteousness will eventually be your undoing. As someone who has lived longer, I offer you this advice: the more you value sentiment and loyalty, the deeper the wound will be when your friends eventually betray you!"

The dry, hot wind continued to blow. Du Hen turned and walked away, stepping across the sand. Xing Wuyi stepped forward, staring at Du Hen's retreating back and shouting, "General Du, can you tell me why? This does not align with your character."

Du Hen did not stop. He walked past the Butcher, grabbed him by the collar, and tossed him aside. Du Hen then bent down, lifted the bloodied, mangled Zuo Dongting, and kicked the lunging Butcher away, not intending to truly injure him. He turned back and looked at Xing Wuyi, saying faintly, "There is someone who shared the same dream as me: that the military might one day produce a Divine Beast-level martial artist. Though I despised him, I shared that dream. If a Divine Beast emerged from the Du family's lineage, I imagine he would die with regret. Very well, I will grant him one last chance to die without regret."

"A Du family descendant will surely become a Divine Beast! Until then, if someone in the army can become a Divine Beast, it will fulfill his wish."

Du Hen's party ascended into the sky, leaving only one sentence echoing in everyone's ears: "I despise myself today."