The ultimate speed martial art—Tian Lasen’s Super Movement Technique! Qin Fen had never seen a faster martial artist, a grandmaster of martial arts utterly obsessed with the pursuit of speed. He obsessed over the angles of approach, how muscle contractions could minimize air friction, how manipulating outward Zhenqi could break through the greatest air resistance, the explosive surge of instant propulsion, and how to layer that explosive force for a secondary burst…

The Master once said that even Zong Jue Lü, unleashing speed beyond stellar levels, could not completely suppress Tian Lasen’s ability. If they engaged in a flash-speed contest under equal conditions, the Master admitted he would favor Tian Lasen over the heaven-defying martial master, Zong Jue Lü.

[“When speed is pushed to its absolute limit, even if you don't strike, the sheer impact generated by your body alone is invincible!”] Qin Fen hadn't forgotten the proud, confident declaration Tian Lasen made upon first meeting him, a demonstration of the destructive power achievable by mere physical collision at the same stellar level, without striking.

Qin Fen had no desire to experience the impact of the eighteen-star Earthly Gang state. As his ankles and core power rotated sharply, his right arm, linked with his shoulder, leaped forward like a great spear plunging into the enemy ranks. Gathering his energy and invigorating his spirit, he sensed his rapidly approaching opponent and instinctively thrust a palm strike, Fēn Qì Pò Làng (Dividing Energy, Breaking Waves)! Pfft! The penetrating force of the spear-like energy pierced the air, but Tian Lasen, the master of extreme speed martial arts, was nowhere to be found ahead. Instead, the chilling impact resonated from behind him.

Qin Fen’s left arm, which had been held close to his side, now swung around his body again, while the thrust of his right arm transformed into an upward spear thrust. His two arms moved like twin dragons flipping up and down. His rapidly revolving body left afterimages in the air, making him appear momentarily endowed with three heads and six arms.

The mass-combat upgraded version of the Divine Fist Style: Nezha Havoc in the East Sea! In an instant, the space around Qin Fen seemed to roar with the might of the Four Dragon Kings, as wind, waves, fire, and ice rampaged through the surrounding air.

Sixteen afterimages of Tian Lasen materialized around Qin Fen. At nearly the same moment, these beings, which had only been illusory projections, simultaneously lunged at Qin Fen, as if sixteen real Tian Lasens were attacking. The assault came from all directions, dense as a barrage of ten thousand cannons, instantly halting Qin Fen’s high-speed rotation and sending him floating high into the air.

Instantly, the aura of Extreme Speed Martial Art Tian Lasen vanished, replaced by a chill that seeped into the bones, a killing intent as if residing in the depths of hell. Shā Pò Jūn (Slaughtering the Army) steamed with terrifying murderous aura, descending from above Qin Fen like a high-speed cannonball.

Slaughter Martial Art! Its intensity was even greater than that of the Golden Star Divine Beast, the White Tiger, from before. It was still the eighteen-star level, the realm of Earthly Gang Qi! Qin Fen endured the immense pressure of the Slaughter Martial Art for less than five seconds before unleashing a punch of his own. Yet, he felt as if his opponent ahead was nothing more than air, even though Hua Qihou of the Non-Offensive Way stood clearly before him.

In this world, the strongest defense is not offense, nor is it a body entirely without flaws or one riddled with holes; it is the state where the opponent is clearly visible, yet seems absent, making a punch feel like wildly flailing at the empty air.

This was the Non-Offensive Way of Hua Qisi: erasing all positions that were either flaws or not flaws! The one who can manipulate flaws and non-flaws is the person who understands flaws the best in this world! Qin Fen deeply admired Hua Qisi’s doctrine: every strong martial artist’s ultimate punch must achieve a state where the opponent cannot evade, cannot dodge, and cannot resist.

Due to differing martial foundations, the punch thrown will yield different effects in the eyes of different people. Facing that punch, some might perceive only the capacity of that single strike, while others might see openings for evasion and evasion, and still others might find gaps for counterattack.

What Hua Qisi researched in the Non-Offensive Way was, in essence, the placement of martial flaws. However, the Non-Offensive Way is not non-attacking. Could a person who has thoroughly studied the flaws in every punch and kick not know how to attack? No! The Non-Offensive Way actually makes him one of the world’s rarest offensive masters! The Non-Offensive Way does not mean the Way of Non-Attack; its meaning is to make the opponent perceive non-offense while the practitioner masters the Way of Offense! Qin Fen’s Feng Shen Bang (Investiture of the Gods List) elbow strike suddenly sank, aiming directly at the kick Hua Qihou sent through an opening toward him. The eighteen-star Earthly Gang Qi left Qin Fen helpless; his counterattack masked some of his flaws, but his opponent’s overwhelming power still broke through.

Having gained the advantage with one move, Hua Qihou pressed the attack relentlessly! Even if Qin Fen stood motionless, allowing his entire body to become flaws—trying to achieve a state where being all flaws means being no flaw at all—Hua Qihou showed no sign of stopping.

In Hua Qihou’s words: “The whole body is flaws, so there are no flaws? Nonsense! If the whole body is flaws, then just casually pick one flaw and strike! Since everything is a flaw, why bother thinking about which one to hit? Whether it’s a real flaw or a fake one, as long as you strike, he has to move. The moment he moves, a real flaw will appear. If he still refuses to move, just keep hitting; his ‘whole body is flaws’ will truly become the flaw! As long as he moves, there will always be a flaw.”

Every strike was an assault, every posture invited weakness! Even the Qilin fighting Qin Fen would find it difficult to strike solely at Qin Fen's weaknesses as casually as Hua Qihou did. This wasn't because Hua Qihou’s martial way surpassed the Qilin’s, but because Hua Qihou knew Qin Fen too well; he was perfectly aware of every one of his martial techniques. It would be strange if he didn't gain the upper hand fighting like this.

Since starting out, Qin Fen had mostly been on the offensive in his battles. Experiencing this purely passive battering again brought a very different sensation to his heart.

The Deceptive Martial Art! Zeng Yicheng replaced Hua Qihou, launching a Zhu Bajie Plucks Grapes move aimed directly at Qin Fen’s upper chest points. The immense power was sufficient to blow two holes straight through his sternum.

The seven great experts attacked in a chaotic, arbitrary sequence. Qin Fen’s spirit reached its zenith, constantly adapting to different martial styles. The strength developed over half a year was now fully tested by these masters. Under this immense pressure, even those skills that were not yet perfectly honed became fluent.

After twenty-four hours of continuous, extreme training, Qin Fen lay exhausted on the ground while the seven experts continued their barrage without pause, keeping his mind stretched to the breaking point.

The seven masters vanished. They floated in space, yearning for rest, but their minds simply could not shut down. Even every inch of skin and muscle fibers replayed the fierce combat they had just endured.

One hour… two hours… three hours… five hours… Qin Fen’s mind finally relaxed. The Master reappeared before him, looking at Qin Fen still suspended in the air: “Do you know what a god is?”

Qin Fen shook his head, then nodded: “The divine path is lofty, encompassing all things.”

“You are right, but not entirely,” the Master said softly. “A god certainly possesses the traits you mentioned, but a god has one more quality, the most important one, which you failed to mention.”

The Master sat beside Qin Fen, gazing at the sky: “That quality is loneliness.”

“Loneliness?” Qin Fen sat up.

“Loneliness, is it not so?” The Master turned to look at Qin Fen. “In the Bible, God is omnipotent. Why did he create man? The book doesn’t explicitly say, but if you read the Bible, you can see that he was essentially lonely. Otherwise, why create mankind? Later, there are many interactions between him and humans. Why would a god interact with people? Because he was lonely.”

The Master smiled: “The Seven Fairies descending to earth, the Third Holy Mother marrying a mortal—why? Because gods are lonely.” Qin Fen was stunned. He had only ever considered gods to be aloof, never truly stepping into the shoes of what it felt like to be a god. What kind of sensation was that?

“Yes, loneliness,” the Master smiled again. “In your history, haven’t so-called War Gods frequently appeared? At least, possessing the title of War God—have you ever considered their hearts?”

Qin Fen fell silent. The Divine Fist Style was not merely grand and vast; it contained a loneliness carved into the bone.

The Master vanished. In the dark mental space, a human shape appeared again—a pure body of light. It didn't strongly resemble a human, but its voice and apparent expression carried absolutely no emotion.

The Light Being! Aside from the Seven Masters, this Light Being was the earliest entity Qin Fen had encountered. He thought it would never appear again, but now, here it was.

“Searching for matching character archetype… initiating mental synchronization…”

The Light Being’s voice was devoid of inflection, its two eyes shooting out flashing red light, like a computer performing high-speed calculations.

Character archetype? Match? Qin Fen paused. He watched as the Light Being spread its arms, and the dark void transformed into a vast expanse of blood-red light. This light instantly rushed over him; there was no chance to evade. His vision abruptly turned red, and the surrounding environment shifted again.

The empty darkness was gone, replaced by the gleam of oil, the chilling gleam of a weapon's cold light, the faintly dim canvas of a surrounding tent, and a simple beast-skin rug spread on the ground.

Qin Fen turned his head, looking around with deep confusion. Was this… the strange Light Being creating another virtual training scenario?

Qin Fen looked down at the Suanni Fire Bronze Armor on his chest, then up at the Phoenix Eye Reaching Heaven Purple Gold Crown atop his head. He touched the Lion Barbarian Waist Belt at his waist and clenched his five fingers around the long Fang Tian Hua Ji (Heavenly Halberd) in his hand.

This is…? Qin Fen froze. He felt his body stand up abruptly without any command, then watched as the body slowly walked forward. As he picked up a square cloth and gently wiped the Heavenly Halberd, he realized the body he had just inhabited was not his own.

It was simply that he had been sitting just as the imposing, magnificent, handsome man had been, and they had momentarily overlapped.

“Fengxian, you seem very happy.”

The flap of the great tent was thrown open, and a streak of moonlight shone in through the cloth. The man entering was tall with broad shoulders, clad in red armor that looked like a blazing fire.

Fengxian? Heavenly Halberd? Suanni Fire Bronze Armor? Here… is this Lu Bu from the Three Kingdoms? Qin Fen was momentarily lost. Why had the Light Being placed him here?

The man called Fengxian slowly turned, an unspeakable joy etched on his handsome face. He nodded to the red-armored man entering: “Yes, Shun. I am truly happy. I hope the heroes of the world do not disappoint me tomorrow at Hulao Pass.”

In an instant, Qin Fen felt he could sense Fengxian’s inner thoughts; that expectant emotion was rising.

“As long as you are happy,” the red-armored man smiled and backed out of the tent. “After all these years, you finally have a chance not to be lonely.”

Not lonely anymore? Qin Fen realized he could feel the thoughts of the red-armored man. The person before him was indeed Lu Bu. For years, he had never known true happiness. His opponents were always too weak to challenge him. Invincibility does not bring happiness, at least not lasting happiness. He longed for an opponent worthy of his full strength, a chance to unleash his Heavenly Halberd’s might.

Lu Bu smiled and nodded without speaking, sitting seriously on the beast-skin rug, meticulously polishing the sharp edge of his Heavenly Halberd, muttering to himself: “The heroes of the world are gathered here. You and I should no longer be so lonely. Are you excited too? Me too. Tomorrow… tomorrow…”

Qin Fen looked at Lu Bu from the side. The man’s expression was solemn; beneath the excitement and anticipation in his brow was an indescribable sense of desolation.

The moon set and the sun rose. A massive number of soldiers gathered. Banners bearing the character Lu fluttered in the wind, snapping loudly like excited roars. Bugle calls echoed across the battlefield.

Qin Fen stood to the side, watching Lu Bu mount Red Hare, wearing the Phoenix Eye Purple Gold Crown, the Suanni Fire Bronze Armor chest piece, the Hundred Flowers Battle Robe, and holding the Heavenly Halberd, its polished surface shining brighter than the sun under the sunlight.

Hulao Pass stood massive behind Lu Bu, yet it seemed small in comparison, like a diminutive woman beside him.

Across the open plain, banners were unfurled one after another. The armies of the eighteen lords were arrayed in a line, resembling a prehistoric beast with its mouth wide open in a roar.

Lu Bu rode forward, planting his great halberd into the ground with a thud! A cloud of yellow dust scattered, and the halberd, which could sweep the world, stood quietly embedded in the earth.

He gazed at the vast army, sitting motionless atop his horse, like a God of War! A chill ran down Qin Fen’s spine. Lu Bu’s martial might was far inferior to his own, but in this era, he was the symbol of invincible military prowess. Standing at the apex, he had cultivated an aura—not an aura of sweeping invincibility, nor a vast, overwhelming aura, but one of loneliness. Only those who pursue invincibility radiate an aura that sweeps away a thousand armies; only those who pursue invincibility strike with power as grand as the heavens.

This man, already invincible, no longer craved invincibility; he wished for someone worthy of a battle! At that point, the aura he exuded was loneliness—the loneliness only the truly invincible generate.

The war drums thundered across the entire battlefield. Qin Fen saw a figure ride out from among the eighteen lords, holding a Fire Dragon Bright Silver Spear. A chilling killing intent made man and horse charge toward Lu Bu as one, shouting: “Mu Shun of Shangdang!”

“Mu Shun?”

Qin Fen saw a flicker of disappointment in Lu Bu’s eyes. The opponent he had awaited all night turned out to be just this? Was this the esteemed hero of the realm?

Mu Shun’s horse was fast, his spear faster. The Fire Dragon Bright Silver Spear whistled as it cut through the air, carrying the shriek of death. Lu Bu sighed. Red Hare suddenly reared up, kicking Mu Shun squarely in the head, knocking him off his horse to his immediate death.

The war drums of the eighteen lords suddenly stopped. Lu Bu hadn't even drawn his weapon; he had allowed a mere retainer to kill his opponent. Qin Fen saw no joy or pride in Lu Bu’s eyes, only deeper disappointment, as if asking: Is this all the heroes of the world amount to?

Another warhorse charged out from the formation. A man wielding a pair of Eight-Pronged Bright Silver Hammers charged forward, yelling: “Wu Guo’an comes to face you!”

Lu Bu watched the hammers descend slowly. The disappointment in his eyes did not lessen. He raised his left palm and struck the iron hammer. A series of cracking sounds erupted from Wu Guo’an’s hand bones, causing him to drop both great hammers. He turned his horse and quickly retreated.

Lu Bu did not pursue. Qin Fen understood from his gaze: the so-called greatest fighter of the Three Kingdoms era had no interest in chasing such opponents. He was waiting—waiting for an opponent truly worthy of his effort, worthy of him drawing the Heavenly Halberd from the ground.

Mentality, entirely different! Qin Fen slowly began to understand! Lu Bu’s inner world held a sense of responsibility—the burden of being the world's greatest expert, unrivaled by anyone! One general… two generals… three generals… Lu Bu’s disappointment deepened as he watched the generals who didn't even compel him to draw his weapon. A self-mocking smile touched his lips: Must I remain lonely forever?

“Lü Fengxian!”

A thunderous roar exploded forth. A man with a face as black as charcoal, wielding a Zhang Ba Snake Spear, burst from the ranks. His tyrannical aura instantly overshadowed the might of the million troops behind him.

Qin Fen saw the loneliness in Lu Bu’s eyes diminish, replaced by excitement and joy! The Heavenly Halberd stuck in the ground actually emitted resonant tremors.

Red Hare reared up and stomped hard on the ground, shaking the embedded Heavenly Halberd loose from the earth. Lu Bu seized the halberd with one hand, and his entire bearing transformed completely.

Qin Fen suddenly felt himself drawn in by this Lu Bu, overlapping with him once more. He watched as Lu Bu swept his halberd to block Zhang Fei’s spear, forcing Zhang Fei to retreat repeatedly with a thrust.

In this overlap, Qin Fen felt the happiness in Lu Bu’s heart. Though not true, complete satisfaction, it was no longer the profound loneliness he had felt before.

Another man charged from the crowd, his Azure Dragon Great Saber slicing through the sky like a true dragon rushing in for the kill.

Two against one? Lu Bu felt no displeasure at this unheroic fighting style. Qin Fen even sensed that facing two opponents brought Lu Bu even greater joy. His great halberd lifted, thrust, stabbed, and swept, clashing against the two, sending sparks flying in profusion.

Another man rushed in from the crowd, Liu Bei’s twin swords cutting into the fray. Lu Bu deftly parried a long sword with his halberd, then countered with a reverse slash. At the same time, Zhang Fei’s blade and Guan Yu’s spear locked against him.

Three against one? Qin Fen felt Lu Bu’s joy beginning to wane. It wasn't anger at being outnumbered; it was the frustration of having fun in a fight only to have a meddler appear.

Zhang Fei and Guan Yu coordinated perfectly; Lu Bu struggled to find an opening. His martial skills were unleashed freely, but with the appearance of the third man, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu’s weaknesses manifested. Every time the Heavenly Halberd aimed at Liu Bei, the other two would rush to defend him.

Qin Fen noticed that even when Lu Bu was in peril, if he attacked Liu Bei, the two brothers, despite having the advantage, would prioritize rescuing their sibling.

Adding a third person hadn't increased the lethality; instead, it introduced such a glaring vulnerability. Qin Fen sensed that Lu Bu had returned to that state of utter invincibility, his joyful heart once again turning desolate.

“What a shame, such a bothersome rat!”

Lu Bu sighed. Continuing the fight would only ruin the fun. If he exploited this weakness to kill Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, wouldn't he be even lonelier in the future? Let the fighting end here for today! Qin Fen heard Lu Bu sigh, and watched him turn Red Hare and retreat towards Hulao Pass. The scene before him began to grow hazy, but the loneliness radiating from Lu Bu’s retreating silhouette did not lessen; if anything, it became more pronounced.