Ah, a gasp echoed, though this one carried less sheer volume than the last, its core resonance of shock, however, far surpassed the previous one.

Lü Dongbin didn't bother to look at the majority of the Underworld members; his gaze was fixed solely on the three truly weighty masters of the realm, whose expressions still betrayed an undeniable astonishment.

How powerful was the Celestial Gate? Ordinary people might never truly grasp it. As the direct adversaries of the Celestial Gate, every Yama Lord understood precisely how formidable the Gate’s strength was. Their ultimate divine skills were inexhaustible. In the entire current human world of the Federation, boasting a population in the tens of billions, the number of Martial Dao masters ranked fifteen stars or above could be counted on two hands—less than three hundred individuals total, a probability far less than one in a hundred million.

The fact that the Celestial Gate could field a roster comprising the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave, Guanyin, Tathagata, the Monkey King, Yang Jian, Nezha, and over twenty other members—almost accounting for one-tenth of all powerful martial organizations—was testament enough to their terrifying strength.

Tieguai Li and Han Zhongli, moreover, were the shining lights among the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave. Any martial artist who had survived to this day at the Master level or above was, by definition, the pinnacle of the pinnacle!

Five top-tier powerhouses joining forces to attack a single young martial artist? And they couldn't even shift his position? Worse, they had managed to kill two of their own in the process? King Taishan retracted his wariness toward the Celestial Gate members, focusing every ounce of vigilance onto Qin Fen.

Today, all present were gathered to contend for the New Energy and the New Essence.

King Taishan suddenly understood why Lü Dongbin had revealed the Celestial Gate's tremendous loss; the entire purpose was for one thing: alliance!

Among intelligent beings, there was no need to lay everything bare. Under the current circumstances, the fact that Qin Fen could take on five opponents and kill two of the Eight Immortals spoke volumes.

King Taishan was confident he wouldn't lose to any individual from the Celestial Gate present, even believing he could win a two-on-one fight. But one against five? Outside of fleeing, he would have no other options, let alone standing rooted to the spot and eliminating two powerhouses—such a brilliant battle record.

The Sixth Hall Yama Lord, Biancheng Wang, dropped the condescending look he had initially held for Qin Fen. Martial Dao masters who survived this long were never fools. Perhaps the pride and self-satisfaction born of being contemporary powerhouses were deeply ingrained, making them reluctant to believe any young person could mount a meaningful challenge to the older generation. But once they truly recognized someone possessed such ability, someone who had already achieved transcendence and stood ready to be challenged, even the stubborn wouldn't shout foolish denials like "impossible."

The two Great Yama Kings and the Night-Roaming God exchanged glances and subtly spread out around the perimeter, forming a siege formation. This was the first time they had ever cooperated with the Celestial Gate, their sworn, mortal enemy.

Lü Dongbin glanced at He Xiangu; the fully restored body of Lan Caihe let out a roar that sounded utterly inhuman, reigniting the fierce battle lust across the entire theater of war.

The five clear-headed masters had already exchanged looks. This time, they would take down Qin Fen first, and afterward, they would compete among themselves to see who could claim the New Energy and New Metal. As for the pilot of the Jungle Ranger who hadn't retracted his armor?

None of the five great experts paid Du Peng any mind. While the strength of a Martial Dao Master was respectable, under normal circumstances, they might have extended an invitation to recruit him.

But today? After they killed Qin Fen, they would casually dispose of him as well.

Du Peng stood within the cockpit of the Jungle Ranger, gazing at Qin Fen’s back. That broad, powerful back—while not built in a giant-like mold, his presence was truly colossal. Looking from behind, it seemed as if he alone could overshadow the entire landscape.

“Is this still the Qin Fen from before?” Du Peng recalled that when he first enlisted as a raw recruit, his strength and Qin Fen’s were nearly equal. Only a few short years had passed? Du Peng had progressed too, and at an astonishing rate! A Martial Dao Master in his early twenties! His growth speed surpassed even that of the Martial Maniac from the Sacred Martial Hall back then!

This speed that astonished others—compared to Qin Fen? Du Peng didn't know what to say.

If it were only his own strength, he could accept it! But he had clearly inherited Brother Hao’s power, forming a complete cultivation method, and yet he was still left so far behind.

The ten thick metal fingers of the Jungle Ranger clenched tightly, emitting a grinding krak-krak sound.

“I don’t want to be left behind! I have Du Zhanpeng’s blood and strength! I refuse to be cast aside like this! He must be watching me from above? Perhaps mocking my useless incompetence?”

“...Kid, are you angry?” The Jungle Ranger, reflecting the sunlight, emitted a faint trace of sorrow. “After all this time, your mental shackles still haven't broken?”

“Brother Zhanpeng, has the information been wrong? It’s been so long...”

“Wait a little longer. The target we hunt this time absolutely cannot be underestimated,” the Jungle Ranger said, slightly lifting its cold metal visor. “Perhaps the moment of decisive victory will appear this time? However, Qin Fen’s power has reached this level. Six of us against him—the pressure is an unknown multiple times greater than before. This victory...”

“Brother Zhanpeng, are you stronger, or is this Qin Fen stronger?”

“Of course, Brother Zhanpeng is stronger! Don’t forget, Brother Zhan said that anyone who has successfully passed the Seven Star Immortal Thunder Sacred Wheel trial exists only in legend. You’ve all seen how fast Brother Zhanpeng’s strength has grown these past years. And don't forget the most crucial point: who has Brother Zhanpeng been training with all these years?”

“That’s true, Brother Zhan is the Jupiter.”

Without turning its head, the Jungle Ranger’s cold voice cut through the conversation from behind the iron mask: “Qin Fen is slightly stronger than me.”

“What?”

“Seriously?”

The Jungle Ranger squad fell silent again. Everyone felt the imminent, explosive battle on the field, and none wished to miss witnessing the young man Qin Fen, whom Brother Zhan described as stronger than himself.

“Qin Fen is actually that strong?” When the Seventh Yama Lord, King Taishan, truly faced Qin Fen, he deeply felt that faint, powerful aura. If he hadn't actually directed hostile intent toward him in combat, he wouldn't have realized that a young martial artist in this era had reached such a level.

King Taishan knew well that in battles between powerful martial artists, the key was securing the initiative and gaining the upper hand in momentum. Overwhelming the opponent with presence would naturally make it easier to seize control of the battlefield. Thus, at the moment a battle is about to erupt, they push their aura fields to their limits, and the resulting pressure from their collision could sometimes asphyxiate low-star-level onlookers.

From the moment Qin Fen was seen until now, he had never seen him expand his aura field. Standing there calmly, arms naturally hanging, he didn't even exhibit any visible sign of his star-level strength. That composure was in itself a form of power! The immense auras released by the others looked, in comparison to him, like mere bluster.

Qin Fen subtly moved his neck, looking left and right at his opponents—the first time they had allied, yet their coordination was so seamless it suggested they had practiced together for a thousand battles. He nodded lightly. As expected, your greatest enemy is the one who understands you best.

With the Celestial Gate and the Underworld locked in contention, their mutual understanding surpassed normal comprehension. Even the sight of their initial coordinated positioning and aura deployment was analyzed by the super-experts as occupying the optimal positions.

“Many people say that Shang... Xin Legendary is the number one figure of the younger generation,” Qin Fen slowly raised his right arm, looking at his open, five-fingered palm. His voice was calm and detached, as if talking to himself or perhaps catching up with a long-lost friend. The only thing missing was the tension of a life-or-death struggle. “That statement might have been true before. But starting today, I will tell a certain divine beast that the old script needs a rewrite. The strongest of the younger generation, the martial artist standing at the true peak of his peers, is named Qin Fen.”

Qin Fen lowered his gaze from his right palm, sweeping it over the rare, aging powerhouses present, a look of composed confidence on his face. “Those of you who survive can serve as my proof: I, Qin Fen, am the true first among the young. Therefore, all of you, come at me together.”

The foremost of the young? Those who survive? Lü Dongbin’s eyebrows twitched uncontrollably, and the muscles in his body began to expand rapidly, rapidly, rapidly, and then rapidly again!

Hiss... Hiss... Hiss...

Driven by the primal instinct of a martial artist sensing life and death, Lü Dongbin’s muscles swelled continuously, ripping apart his martial arts uniform. As tendons strained and flesh ballooned, he transformed into a powerhouse resembling a giant. The man who stood just over 1.8 meters tall now towered even over Biancheng Wang. His forearms were thicker than Biancheng Wang's upper arms!

King Taishan looked at Lü Dongbin in surprise. Lü Dongbin, rumored to be the strongest master of the Limit-Might Flow martial art in this era, had given the impression of scholarly elegance when first seen. There was absolutely no indication of him being a practitioner of the Limit-Might Flow, let alone being hailed as the strongest.

But now, King Taishan finally understood why Lü Dongbin bore that title! During that muscle inflation, Lü Dongbin’s strength surged nonstop, rocketing past the eighteen-star level in one breath, achieving the Human Astral Realm state as well.

Ancient Martial Arts, Mount Sumeru Strength!

King Taishan watched Lü Dongbin’s transformation in utter shock. This man possessed a new martial art, an ancient martial art? Magnetic Flying Sword Mount Sumeru Strength? How had he managed it?

Many people in the world could cultivate two ancient martial arts. As long as one didn't mind the side effects—sudden yin transformation, male-to-female shift, or total paralysis—one could even train four or five simultaneously.

Some also practiced a new martial art, like Iron Body Armor, alongside ancient fist techniques, creating a peculiar new-ancient hybrid. But cultivating a new martial art and an ancient internal art simultaneously? That was virtually unheard of!

It wasn't that scientists hadn't proposed such a concept, but it demanded extremely strict physical aptitude. After super-computations by machines, the probability derived was a mere one in three hundred billion.