"Attention all passengers bound for Ten Star, attention all passengers bound for the peak of Ten Star." The announcement echoed, "Take-off will commence in twenty minutes. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. Please power down your mobile phones, personal computers, and all other devices. Thank you for your cooperation."
In the grand hall of the American Ares Aerospace Transport Company's Ship Landing Center, and aboard the spacecraft resting on the runway, sweet voices repeatedly broadcasted flight information to the passengers.
Xue Tian, seated next to Qin Fen, instantly slipped into slumber, donning a dark eye mask as if starved for sleep and suddenly finding a conducive environment for rest.
Yang Lie listlessly flipped through the airline's complimentary magazine, while Brooks was absorbed in listening to rhythmic heavy metal music.
Qin Fen glanced at his companions, then picked up an entertainment magazine, turning its pages gently. He fully understood the nature of this "smuggling trip" arranged by Xing Wuyi.
Traveling from Earth to Saturn wasn't a matter of a quick flight or a brief drive. The distance was bridged by vast expanses of empty space.
Excluding the top-tier Constellation Warriors and Divine Beast Martial Artists, few in this world could guarantee safe survival in the void.
Regardless of whether the Serpent King spoke truthfully, Xie Wuyi would not permit Qin Fen and the others to risk the journey to Quanzhou. Even equipped with the super-nanotech combat suits of the Divine Dragon level, a one hundred percent guarantee of safety was impossible.
No water, no food. And certainly no ultra-high-speed travel aboard a spacecraft. Even utilizing Wukong Art, a return journey to Earth would take three to five months. Before they starved to death in space, they would likely suffocate.
Even if the Serpent King meant well, Xie Wuyi would never agree to let them depart from Quanzhou. Quite a few eyes were currently fixed on that location; if even one person harbored ill intent, the situation would become precarious.
"The Federation's Hottest Idol Group, Fei Xin Girl Band, to Launch Saturn Concert Tour"
The massive headline, the dazzling promotional spread. And the pair of beautiful, adorable twin sisters. Their slightly petite figures, hands merely gripping the long poles of their microphones touching the floor, the huge electric guitars and basses slung across their chests. The sweat and smiles on their faces formed the most perfect scene.
Even just looking at the color insert, one could almost hear the super-impactful heavy metal hard rock music through the visual shock of the page.
"Time flies," Qin Fen murmured softly, "Thinking back, it feels like only yesterday. These girls have transitioned from a popular idol group of the past to the Federation's number one idols now. I should visit them when I have time."
"Huh? You like their music too?" Brooks turned to look at the magazine in Qin Fen's hand, smiling as she handed him her music player and earphones. "This is their latest album. The heavy metal is still fiery, the melodies higher-pitched than before, and their bass and guitar techniques are more practiced. But the sound they sing with..."
Qin Fen frowned slightly. Perhaps to others, the singing sounded as usual, perhaps even better than before. But Qin Fen, whose very soul had been shaken by the passionate heavy metal music of those two little girls, causing his martial path to sublimate, instantly detected something amiss.
The music was still pleasant, arguably even better than before, enhanced by top-tier mixing engineers—it was almost the most perfect heavy metal rock music in the world. But the most crucial element was flawed.
The Soul! The most important aspect of heavy metal rock wasn't vocal technique or pitch; it was the soul! It was letting the singer's soul rock out completely, flying free in the world of music.
They were constrained! Qin Fen felt it. The soul of this seemingly unrestrained heavy metal rock music was shackled! Like a soaring eagle trapped in a birdcage, a free swallow with broken wings. It was a struggling roar, not a soul dancing with abandon.
"Good, isn't it?" Brooks praised. "Their vocal performance has improved even more than the last album. I really love these two sisters' music, but I can't manage to get their autographs."
Qin Fen smiled. For a top-tier Martial Arts Master, obtaining an autograph from the Fei Xin Girl Band using his own strength and influence wouldn't be difficult. The reason Brooks hadn't done so was that she genuinely respected the two girls.
Qin Fen took out his phone, checked that there were ten minutes until take-off, reopened his phone, pointed to Brooks's phone, and initiated a short-range Bluetooth transfer. He sent several pieces of music that the Fei Xin Girl Band had recorded exclusively for him into Brooks's phone, saying, "Listen, is there a difference?"
The music played again. Brooks's eyebrows twitched slightly. Her eyes soon lit up, then she quickly snatched back her own music player to compare, confusion quickly clouding her features.
Singers always have good and bad days, typically putting their best state into the albums they sell. But the music Qin Fen possessed was clearly many times better than the album version—it wasn't just a marginal improvement, but the sound of singing purely with the soul.
"Their wings," Brooks stared blankly at Qin Fen, "are bound?"
Qin Fen nodded gently. Those two little girls yearned for freedom so much, even shouting out moving melodies in the face of terrorist attacks. How could they be constrained in an album?
Fame increased? Money earned multiplied? Mindset changed? Qin Fen softly dismissed the speculation. These two girls weren't that type. Their dedication to music was in no way inferior to his and Caesar's dedication to martial arts.
"Aren't they on Saturn?" Brooks looked at Qin Fen. "Let's go see them."
"En!" Qin Fen nodded. Seeing the spaceship attendant approaching, he quickly offered an apologetic smile and returned his mobile phone to the off state. This was the attendant's job, and as a passenger, cooperation was required. Brooks also complied, fastening her safety harness, and ordered a glass of plain water, quietly listening to the music emanating from her player.
Qin Fen turned to look at Lin Ling and heard her voice drift over: "Space travel will be dull. A single magazine won't sustain you through this time. Resting might be a good option."
Qin Fen opened his mouth, suddenly realizing that the question he was about to ask—And what about you?—was utterly pointless. Given Lin Ling's abilities, being confined in a space where nothing existed for ten years wouldn't bother her in the slightest.
The spacecraft roared, propelling its massive body toward the atmosphere. Qin Fen immediately felt the powerful G-force pushing him back. By the time he finished the entire magazine, the ship had broken through the atmosphere and entered the vast expanse of space.
Qin Fen looked out the window at Earth behind him. This was the first time he had looked down upon the entire planet from such a high altitude. It truly was a blue planet. Beautiful... so beautiful.
After a while, Qin Fen realized that simply sitting still wasn't suitable for him. Practicing martial arts in this environment was even less ideal; indeed, sleeping seemed to be the most appropriate activity.
Lin Ling gave Qin Fen another "Sleep" look and maintained a state of readiness for imminent combat.
Qin Fen closed his eyes. In the past half-year of rigorous training, he had never slept in such a comfortable environment. Adjusting the seat to sleep mode, he quickly drifted into a quiet slumber.
In a vast, empty space resembling the universe, Qin Fen's body floated in this mental realm. He looked left and right at his hands and smiled lightly. It had been half a year since he last entered this peculiar mental world. Returning suddenly, he felt a little unaccustomed, especially since he was physically in space and suddenly found himself suspended in a space mimicking the cosmos—it was even more surprising.
The quiet mental world did not immediately present a guide. Qin Fen began to speculate on who might appear this time: Sha Pojun of the Slaughter Martial Path? Zeng Yicheng of the Sinister Martial Path? Chan Yi Chan of the Ultimate Dao of Entanglement? Master? Or perhaps Tian La Sen of the Extreme Speed Martial Path? Liu Kun Jun of the Frenzied Might Martial Path? Hua Qi Hou of the Non-Offensive Dao?
Having not entered this mental world for half a year, Qin Fen was unsure which of the seven Black Hole level Martial Artists' grandmasters would appear.
"Haha, little fellow, I like your strength today."
From the darkness, the sound of Zeng Yicheng, the King of Sinister Arts, filled with wicked delight, echoed. Hearing it sent a wave of numbness down Qin Fen's scalp—a natural, instinctual reaction of a martial artist. Master had mentioned that even Master and others, perhaps even the never-before-seen Heaven-Shattering level martial artist Zong Jue Lu, would instinctively feel their scalps tingle upon hearing the voice of the King of Sinister Arts, Zeng Yicheng. The most intense reaction was usually from Liu Kun Jun of the Frenzied Might Martial Path.
Although Qin Fen's Divine Fist Dao wasn't exclusively Frenzied Might, his initial martial practice involved the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Gong, leading him to favor the Frenzied Might slightly. Thus, his reaction bore some resemblance to Liu Kun Jun's.
The light in the darkness gradually brightened, and Zeng Yicheng, the King of Sinister Arts, appeared before Qin Fen with a cunning smile. "Kid, long time no see. Your strength these days has really..."
With a benevolent smile, resembling a kind neighborly uncle, Zeng Yicheng suddenly shrank his figure, extended his right hand, opened his five fingers, and launched the "Monkey Stealing the Peach" directly toward Qin Fen's lower abdomen!
A sudden attack without warning. Just moments ago, they were conversing pleasantly, appearing completely harmless, and in the next instant, the most direct form of sneak attack.
Sneak attack, again!
Qin Fen knew Zeng Yicheng too well. Some say a woman's temper changes faster than turning a page; then Zeng Yicheng changes his demeanor faster than that. One moment he's chatting amiably, the next he's launching a potentially life-ending kick—that was utterly normal behavior.
Eighteen Star Level! Human Gang Apex! Six months of martial cultivation, coupled with the military's Unity of Man and Heaven, Qin Fen's martial path was incomparably stronger than it was six months ago!
Facing Zeng Yicheng's similarly Eighteen Star Level, Human Gang Apex "Monkey Stealing the Peach," his Thunder Step instantly exploded with a burst of airflow, blooming from beneath his feet like a massive, fully opened peony. Every step he took was swift, with peony-shaped energy waves blooming layer upon layer.
The ancients spoke of 'steps ascending the lotus'; Qin Fen blended the Thunder Step with Zeng Yicheng's unique ultimate skill, the Peony Fist, unleashing his unique 'Step Treading the Chrysanthemum.' He appeared behind Zeng Yicheng, raising his toe to strike at his opponent's vital point.
Returning the favor in kind. Qin Fen's six steps of the Thunder Peony Step were taken every bit as soundly and uprightly, appearing magnificent and imposing. He fully displayed the cold arrogance and frost-pure aura of the Peony style. Only at the moment of kicking did the momentum abruptly shift—not a trace of sacred purity remained.
This strike had been planned by Qin Fen the moment he saw Zeng Yicheng. His spirit, energy, and essence had reached their optimal state the moment Zeng Yicheng uttered his first word. The force of his foot, the root of his leg, and the Gang Qi power of his waist, hip, and spine connected in a single line, erupting suddenly with an irresistible aura—the full power of his kick after six months.
The force of the kick elicited a crisp explosion in the mental space. Zeng Yicheng's eyes still held the benevolent uncle's smile as his body spun like a top. His arms crossed in an 'X', his fingers spread wide, pressing fiercely toward several major acupoints on Qin Fen's leg. It looked almost as if he had pre-positioned them, waiting for Qin Fen's leg to collide with them.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Qin Fen's leg strikes didn't cease. He spat out three mouthfuls of saliva! This saliva cut through the wind and air, emitting a whistling shriek powerful enough to pierce metal and shatter stone!
Zeng Yicheng's eyes suddenly brightened. His grasping hands did not change, but his Gang Qi and strength abruptly rose a full level—Nineteen Star Level strength! Earth Gang!
Three streams of saliva were spat out from Zeng Yicheng's mouth simultaneously. Qin Fen pivoted his supporting ankle, drawing back his kicking right leg like a whirlwind. As he spun, he flashed to the side, the flower-like Gang Qi of the blooming peony radiating from his feet. His ten fingers flicked out rapidly, Earth Gang True Qi pouring down like raindrops toward Qin Fen's body.
Nineteen Star True Qi, Earth Gang again, delivered by Zeng Yicheng. Qin Fen stabilized his body, clenching his ten fingers like hammers. The muscles in his arms and back vibrated along with the inner True Qi with loud pa-pa sounds. He unleashed the "Chaos Hurl Crazy Fist" technique, which shattered barriers and shook the heavens, an imposing shadow.
The collision of fist and finger assaults caused Qin Fen's body to sway momentarily. His legs were planted as if bracing against a storm, his fists raining down like a torrential downpour. He immediately switched the Chaos Hurl from the frenzied tide to Liu Kun Jun's furious surge. The sound waves of the heaven-shaking tide rolled and churned in the air.
Six months of accumulation, six months of practice, six months of advancement—Qin Fen's martial path was now more perfectly rounded. His palm strikes no longer possessed only the chaotic fury of a tidal wave; the power of every palm contained subtle adjustments. His palm movements were continuous and majestic, expressing the true meaning of the ocean, absorbing all of Zeng Yicheng's remote Peony Finger Qi strikes.
"Interesting," Zeng Yicheng chuckled, showing no shame in using a strategy of overwhelming strength against a junior martial artist, as a Super Grandmaster, instead of engaging with commensurate power. Qin Fen, however, couldn't voice any protest, as he was facing Zeng Yicheng, not some other Super Grandmaster.
If it were anyone else, they might have been interested in battling with the same Star Level power to savor the thrill of an intense fight. But Zeng Yicheng was different. This Martial Arts Super Grandmaster never felt shame in using superior strength. In his own words: My strength is greater than yours, why shouldn't I use it? Why should I fight you fairly? Do you think I hit my head in a doorway? In combat, fairness doesn't exist. Qin Fen deeply understood Zeng Yicheng's words—they weren't just an excuse for playing around; they were also a piece of kind advice aimed at himself, though he disliked the way Master conveyed his thoughts.
"A few days ago, while you were cultivating, I heard a very, very old piece of music through you. I realized it was absolutely music tailored for me. Do you still remember it?" Zeng Yicheng’s body shook repeatedly. The Peony Step beneath his feet bloomed again, and his body, circling Qin Fen at high speed, instantly left six shadows in different positions. The Peony Finger struck from all directions like a torrential rain: "Autumn's peonies bloom, the birds are free and unrestrained, I am still waiting, waiting for my flower, you bloom quickly..."
Qin Fen held his True Qi, blasting at the Peony Fingers coming from all directions, unleashing a thousand punches in an instant. Suddenly, his abdomen was struck by one finger—that Nineteen Star Earth Gang True Qi—followed immediately by a second... and a third...
More and more Peony Fingers struck Qin Fen. The piercing pain felt as if it would shock him out of his spirit realm entirely. The defense of the Furious Tide completely collapsed, and his entire body was blasted into the air by the finger energy.
Zeng Yicheng appeared before Qin Fen, his Peony Fist striking his lower abdomen. A voice rang in his ear: "This is the naked difference in strength! Experience the power of Earth Gang with your body!"
In the pitch-black mental space, Zeng Yicheng seemed to teleport in all directions in the air. The moment he sent Qin Fen flying, he was already behind him, once again blasting him out like a cannonball with Nineteen Star Earth Gang Qi.
Qin Fen knew that Zeng Yicheng was holding back; otherwise, he would have been utterly incapacitated long ago.
Earth Gang. What was it? In his six months of cultivation, Qin Fen had barely considered it, proceeding with his training instinctively, following his old methods.
He had assumed that after such practice, his martial path might break through the Human Gang and enter the Earth Gang. But during the battle on Mount Everest, Qin Fen realized his Human Gang had reached its extreme, yet there was no sense of qualitative change whatsoever.
Entering the Golden Triangle, the momentum of the "Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage" strike, though peerless, still failed to merge and cause any further breakthrough in his Human Gang Qi, despite the increased momentum.
The military's Unity of Man and Heaven—Qin Fen thought he might break through, but he only found himself much stronger, while the Human Gang remained like stubborn stone, showing no change.
Why? Qin Fen thought about this extensively while boarding the spaceship, only stopping his contemplation when he took his seat in the passenger section. The immense mental expenditure hadn't yielded an answer, leading to his fatigue and quick descent into dreamland.
"You are smart, very smart. You know how to travel around to experience local customs and the spirit of the mountains and rivers. But your vision is too narrow!" Zeng Yicheng struck Qin Fen's abdomen again with a punch. "You only see what you can see but have never truly cared about the earth beneath your feet. Why do you travel everywhere? The ground beneath your feet connects to every place you have visited! Smart, yet foolish."
As Qin Fen was sent flying, the scene of looking at Earth from space reappeared in his mind. A blast of Peony Fist Qi surged across the void toward Qin Fen's chest.
A few nights ago...
Some friends said they couldn't find the audiobook section... It's on the homepage. Isn't there a small area on the homepage dedicated to playing news? There's a line of text there: 'Vote for popular novels on Rongwei and win Qianwan Coins Grand Prize'—that's it. The previous 'Best Novel of the Year' selection required payment, and Gao Lou never asked for payment. The 'Author of the Year' required payment, and Gao Lou never asked for payment either. For anything requiring payment, Gao Lou only ever asks everyone to subscribe, because that is essentially my salary, the reward for my hard work writing.
Besides subscriptions, Gao Lou has only ever asked for two things: recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. The former are free; the latter are the complimentary products generated by subscriptions. Apart from subscriptions, Gao Lou never asks everyone to spend more money, because I know everyone earns money with difficulty.
This time, this is free. The voting for the audiobook is free, and Gao Lou wants to try hard to canvass votes.
I really want to hear: 'All of you, come at me together! I'll be waiting for you at the summit! I heard it. Qin Fen’s voice as he boarded the plane. I know he will definitely come, because we are friends.' I really want to hear those words roared out with emotion, whispered softly.
I don't know if I can achieve it, but I want to try. Isn't there a saying in novels? Losing isn't scary; the most important thing is winning the process.
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