The casual remark hung in the air, stunning the military personnel at the Saturn base into silence, making them question their hearing or whether they were caught in some collective dream.

There was an unwritten rule within the Federation: nearly all Federation Lieutenant Generals attained their rank only after achieving the level of Martial Arts Master. Few, save for those who rendered exceptional service to the Federation, were ever permitted to bypass this prerequisite.

As the supreme commander on Saturn, a Lieutenant General! The lowest acceptable power level was the Fifteen-Star rank of Martial Arts Master! The soldiers couldn't comprehend this move; even if the Lieutenant Colonel had a Fifteen-Star Martial Arts Master accompanying him, such audacity was beyond measure.

This was Saturn, and Lieutenant General Solov, the highest commander here, possessed not merely Fifteen-Star power, but the might of the Sixteenth Star! Such actions and demeanor were tantamount to outright insubordination; even if Solov were to execute them all, High Command on Earth would likely offer little objection.

"Keep me quiet?"

A cold sneer twisted Solov's lips, his heavy beard twitching with the movement of his facial muscles. His Sixteen-Star Zhenqi power rapidly expanded, instantly creating a vortex-like field of air currents centered on him, forcing the surrounding men to throw up their hands to shield their eyes.

The General who held sway over Saturn unleashed his potent strength in the underground base without restraint. He intended to show these newcomers exactly who ruled Saturn! Solomon’s smile was one of pure excitement. He spread his arms wide, swooping toward Solov like a great eagle. In that instant, the entire underground base seemed to be encompassed beneath his grasp. The brightly lit hall suddenly darkened, as if on a sunny day, massive white clouds had unexpectedly drifted across the sky, completely eclipsing the huge sun, plunging the world into shadow.

Solov’s mouth, fixed in a cold sneer, suddenly widened, and beams of astonishment shot uncontrollably from his pupils. What was the background of this young man? Was he a Seventeen-Star?

Fast! Solov had never witnessed such blistering speed. He didn't even have time to shove the woman beside him away, much less counterattack. His hastily raised leg was struck by the charging youth’s Fanbei Quan, connecting squarely with his knee. The brutal impact sent a shockwave of pain deep into the bone, shattering the knee—a joint strong enough to crush armor—and broadcasting the agonizing sensation instantly to his brain.

A hand, right before Solov’s eyes, clamped around his throat. The immense force felt like being hit by a heavy truck. His legs lifted instantly off the ground, and his body was propelled backward at high velocity by the force of the hand gripping his neck, slamming violently into the wall behind him.

Boom! In the sealed space, a sound like a heavy bomb exploded. People watched in shock as Lieutenant General Solov, using his protective Kui Tuo and his powerful physique, carved a hole nearly a meter deep into the wall behind him. His entire body was buried within the dusty crater.

The young man who had been standing silently behind Lieutenant Colonel Zhenfen now held one arm clamped around Lieutenant General Solov’s throat, pinning him firmly within the hole. A single, powerful strike had been enough to render the Sixteen-Star General utterly incapable of mounting any resistance.

The soldiers exchanged glances, trying to decipher from each other's eyes the true origins of these youths who had parachuted in from High Command onto Saturn. The young man who had just wielded the great saber using the power of a Martial Arts Master was astonishing enough; this one had silenced the formidable Lieutenant General Solov with a single blow, leaving him helpless.

The woman, seated on the floor, stared at the scene in terror. Was this truly the invincible Lieutenant General Solov? He had been utterly neutralized by one attack.

Zhenfen slowly stood up, ignoring Solov, and grabbed the gap split by Xue Tian’s strike, beginning to drag the heavy iron wall outward.

The soldiers watched Qin Fen’s actions with confusion. What was this young man attempting? Had his mind snapped? Even a Martial Arts Master capable of blasting through an iron wall wouldn't possess the raw brute strength to simply drag it open! No, absolutely impossible! The soldiers were confident; behind that iron wall wasn't just a simple sliding mechanism—even ten elephants couldn't pull that solid barrier free.

Creak, ah... ah... creak... The sound of metal grinding against the floor and walls slowly echoed through the silent hall. Wall plaster showered down as the structure vibrated. The soldiers watched, dumbfounded, at an impossible reality: this young man, whose physique seemed merely adequate, was actually a humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex! He was dismantling the iron wall using pure, raw physical force. If he ever decided to quit the military, he could be hired as a demolition specialist—a walking building dismantler.

The metallic wall and the floor collided with a soul-shaking crash, revealing a row of more than a dozen large iron crates stacked in this specialized chamber.

The blade energy Xue Tian had unleashed earlier had sliced through the wall but had missed the iron crates flanking the area, embedding itself deep into the chamber’s structure.

Solov stared wide-eyed at Qin Fen as he slowly entered the room. His arms tried to rise to stop him, but the hand gripping his Adam's apple tightened, issuing an excited warning: lift that arm another inch, and he’d snap your neck! Solov’s spirit quivered as he saw Solomon’s hand, but he fixated on the young man's eyes. What kind of eyes did this youth possess? Why were they filled with such eager anticipation? "Are you... cough—" Solov coughed violently, lowered his arm, and fixed his gaze on Solomon. "Do... do you know who I am? Murdering a Lieutenant General... that... that is court-martial material."

The soldiers finally snapped back to awareness. Right! Had these people gone mad? What they were doing now was enough to land them in a military tribunal for life.

"Let me go now... and I'll pretend nothing happened." Solov gasped violently. As a Lieutenant General in the Federation Military, he practically held a death exemption card; as long as no capital offenses were witnessed, even major corruption wouldn't be a serious issue. After all, how many officials in the world didn't use their power for personal gain? "Solomon, Lieutenant General, Supreme Commander of the Saturn Military. Do you know who I am?"

Solov looked at Solomon’s smile and suddenly felt uncertain. A young man daring to strike him, fully aware of his identity, must possess not only immense personal strength but also some formidable backing.

"My name is Solomon," Solomon said, pointing with his free hand at Qin Fen, who was opening the crates. "Do you know who they are? Lieutenant General? We dared to come after Zuo Dongting; what do you think we fear?"

Kill Zuo Dongting? The base personnel were stunned. Was he referring to General Zuo Dongting, the towering figure of power in East Asia at Earth High Command? Had these people actually killed him? Was it true or false? If true, who were these people? Why hadn't the military issued wanted posters or arrest warrants for them?

Solov’s last flicker of ferocity died out. His hands, which had been holding back some strength, dropped limply to his sides. His expression shifted from shock to suspicion, and then back to shock.

As a Lieutenant General, even on Saturn, he was aware of events transpiring on Earth. The cause of Zuo Dongting’s death was the deepest secret to ordinary soldiers, but to those at or above Lieutenant General rank, it wasn't entirely hidden, especially for those who actively sought information.

Zuo Dongting died at Qin Fen's hands! Qin Fen, who had left the Holy Martial Hall not long ago, who consecutively killed two contemporary Martial Arts Masters at Mount Hanba, and then soon after killed Zuo Dongting in the Sahara?

Solov had reviewed Qin Fen’s file. At the time, he hadn't paid much attention to the small, two-inch photo but focused on his military history: in less than three years, the number of lives he had taken had piled up significantly, and his performance in the Rookie Competition could only be described as monstrous.

"Ruthless but not evil!" Solov recalled his assessment. This youth was ruthless and decisive in combat but was not someone who reveled in wanton slaughter. In fact, it could be said that not a single soul he had taken was truly innocent; he walked a righteous path, true to his conscience and the heavens.

"Snake..." Solov's fatty eyelids twitched repeatedly. The anger that had been burning moments ago instantly extinguished, leaving his heart ice-cold. "Snake King... you are truly ruthless..."

In that instant, Solov understood everything. The development of the main force within the Saturn Military had been unsatisfactory for a long time. Previously, they had sent people to take over, but he, the local power broker, had easily kicked them back to Earth. Some were even bound, thrown onto spacecraft, and sent packing.

For nearly a year, Earth High Command had only promised to send others, but no one had actually arrived.

Solov had assumed the Military was merely venting dissatisfaction through words, never imagining they would actually send reinforcements—and such decisive, powerful young men at that.

Revolt? Solov looked at Solomon, his decision to yield immediately forming. Zuo Dongting’s influence and power were far beyond anything he could match. The fact that these youths could kill such a formidable warrior yet face no military crackdown could only mean two things.

First: the support of the Snake King. Second: these young men possessed power that even Earth High Command hesitated to confront. They might not be able to fight the entirety of High Command, but if they decided to fight to the bitter end, the Military would likely suffer significant losses to eliminate them.

Considering that this group had managed to kill Zuo Dongting and now swaggered in to take over Saturn's military command, Solov utterly gave up hope.

Creak... In the inner chamber, a harsh metallic grinding sound signaled the slow opening of an iron crate. What was revealed was not glittering gold or jewelry, but stacks upon stacks of colorful paper. To be precise, the first iron crate was filled with neatly bundled stacks of cash! "Heavens! This is hard currency!" Xue Tian yelled out in surprise, using his Iaido sword to flip open several more crates.

Cash, cash, and nothing but cash filling the boxes! The contents of these iron crates were strikingly uniform: nothing but currency.

The soldiers standing nearby were also stunned by the sight of the cash. Although they knew the Lieutenant General had stashed some of his embezzled funds here, the sheer volume of money was excessive! Qin Fen retrieved the document he had dropped earlier and slowly waved the papers in front of Solov: "Care to explain?"

Solov looked at the document in Qin Fen's hand. His nearly despairing eyes suddenly gained a new light, and a faint smile touched his lips. He spoke calmly, "Embezzlement."

Qin Fen paused. He rarely handled political matters. He had expected a corrupt official to show fear when confronted with evidence of corruption, but Solov seemed utterly unfazed, almost dismissive.

Qin Fen turned to look at Yang Lie, Caesar, and the others. These men were all born into powerful families, almost all designated as first-in-line successors. Not only were their martial skills exceptional, but they had also been trained in governance since childhood, giving them greater authority on this matter.

Caesar gestured to Yang Lie in a posture of deference: "You first." Yang Lie stepped forward without hesitation. "There are two options. The first is the most common and formal method: gather all the evidence, send him back to the Military, and let the court-martial handle his sentencing."

Qin Fen nodded slightly, glancing at the scattered documents on the floor. Though unfamiliar with military court regulations, he presumed this overt evidence would be enough to keep the man imprisoned for life. However, this method carried a drawback: minor figures would certainly be caught and sentenced, but powerful men often made deals, reducing the likelihood of actual jail time. "Yang Lie looked at Solov: "In our eyes, this man might not be a major figure, but to ordinary people, he is a godlike presence. Therefore..."

Qin Fen nodded and took up the line of questioning: "The probability of him being sentenced is low?"

Yang Lie flicked his fingers in approval, a streak of cold malice flashing in his eyes: "The second option is to kill him."

Solov’s scalp crawled. The moment Yang Lie spoke of killing, his tone was chilling and decisive, sounding nothing like a joke or a suggestion.

"A man like this..." Yang Lie shook his head. "If we truly send him back for trial, and the final outcome is an acquittal, what will he do?"

Qin Fen looked thoughtfully at Solov before replying: "He will cause trouble for us, or for the people around us. He will become extremely dangerous. Therefore, killing him is better."

The soldiers in the hall stared blankly at Qin Fen and Yang Lie. What kind of young men were these? They were discussing the execution of Saturn’s current supreme military commander in plain sight, without any attempt at concealment.

Chen Feiyu smirked inwardly at the soldiers’ expressions. While the conversation between Qin Fen and Yang Lie was spontaneous, their coordination was undeniably perfect.

These men stationed on Saturn for so long had long lost their initial reverence for Earth Military High Command. Solov managed to amass such wealth through corruption; it would be strange if these current officers were completely clean. In the future, they would still need these people on Saturn. To ensure their absolute obedience, simply demonstrating martial power was useless.

Killing was always the best form of deterrence! Qin Fen glanced at Solomon and nodded slightly. Judging by the data, Solov’s corruption was brazen, and many of his actions hadn't just harmed the interests of lower-ranking Saturn personnel—some schemes even involved human lives, which he had equally sold out.

"You... you... what are you trying to do?" Solov’s eyes widened in terror. "Qin Fen! I am a Lieutenant General! I’m warning you, you will regret killing me! The Underworld... the Underworld will take revenge on you!"

Solomon sensed Qin Fen’s rising interest and used his grip to momentarily ease the pressure, not squeezing harder.

"The Underworld?" Qin Fen lifted his eyelids to look at Solov.

"Yes! The Underworld!" Solov saw a shift in Qin Fen’s expression and immediately seized on this straw of hope. Ignoring the discomfort in his throat, he urgently spoke, trying to cough. "At this point, I can’t hide it any longer. My identity isn't just a Federation Lieutenant General; I’m also a member of the Underworld!"

Qin Fen was somewhat surprised. The Military’s personnel vetting should be extremely thorough; for Solov to also be affiliated with the Underworld was genuinely unexpected.

A commotion erupted among the soldiers. They could no longer suppress their astonishment, staring at Solov with disbelief. The Saturn Military was nominally tasked with fighting the Sky Gate and the Underworld. If Solov was already part of the Underworld, what secrets remained here? It was a miracle they had survived this long.

"Yes, yes, I am a member of the Underworld," Solov secretly breathed a sigh of relief. On Saturn, if you announced yourself as a Military officer, or even a police officer, some people would still risk killing you. But if you claimed to be part of the Underworld, the only people truly audacious enough to attack you would be members of the Sky Gate.

"You must consider this carefully. I am a member of the Underworld," Solov said, his nervous tension easing again. "If you kill me, can you withstand the retaliation from the Underworld?"

Qin Fen leaned closer, studying Solov for three seconds. Although his gaze flickered slightly, there was no change in his pupils. His heart rate was uneven, not due to lying, but because he was balancing on the edge of life and death.

"You are not lying," Qin Fen judged softly. "Then can you tell me your rank within the Underworld?"

"Yaksha...?"