The group battle from last time—the one between the vast majority of the martial artists from the Heavenly Gate and the Underworld—began and ended in an instant. How these five individuals were defeated by the strength of Qin Fen alone was a mystery to almost no one.

Last time, two from the Heavenly Gate died; this time, it was the Underworld’s turn to lose two. The remaining strong expert from the Underworld had already fled.

In the Natural Graveyard, there was no wind, yet everyone felt a coldness that pierced the bone marrow. They exchanged glances, silently questioning how they should proceed.

Qin Fen stood like the invincible Great Demon King of fairy tales, while the Eight Immortals and Yama Kings from the Heavenly Gate and the Underworld resembled the knights setting out to slay him. Unfortunately, this time the outcome was not like the fairy tales where the knights, using their wit and wisdom, managed to defeat the Great Demon King through superior strategy against greater power.

Now, Qin Fen, the Great Demon King, remained standing in the center of the battlefield. He slowly raised a leg and began to advance into the ravaged forest, just as a Demon King would approach the last remaining knight on the verge of defeat.

Someone, perhaps it was unclear who, whispered first, “Run.” Nearly two hundred martial artists from the Heavenly Gate and the Underworld, those accustomed to living life on the line, clutched their weapons and scattered in all directions. Converging on the same path meant being caught and eliminated by those intent on silencing them; only by dispersing could they maximize their chances of escape.

Du Peng watched quietly as the scattered members were not pursued. If Qin Fen had intended to wipe them all out, Wang Wang would have already begun the killing.

Since he hadn't planned on a full massacre, why bother casually killing these martial artists? They too had families to support and kin to care for; this conflict was merely a difference in allegiance.

“So strong.” “Zhan Peng brother, you can’t beat him, right?” “Indeed.” The Jungle Ranger mecha in the front row slowly moved its metallic head, its voice filled with unfeigned awe. “I truly never imagined he was this powerful.

After training with Battle Brother for so long, I now realize that the person I once thought I might have been able to defeat, I truly cannot beat now.” “It’s not just his Star-level strength or his Earthly Gang mastery; his martial foundation is too profound! In that single exchange just now, aside from the final collision against Lu Dongbin's ultimate martial power, every other moment was a true contest of martial technique.

When facing these seniors with such rich experience, winning through skill is far harder than merely suppressing them with superior Star-level power. Yet Qin Fen achieved it, and he did so while fighting many against one—a feat that is difficult even one-on-one.” The foremost young talent of this era is truly…” After the great battle, the woods of the Natural Graveyard settled back into quietude.

Qin Fen stepped on broken branches that littered the ground, the crunch-crunch echoing softly through the silent forest as he slowly approached the remnants of the fight, where whimpering sounds could still be heard. He Xiangu had lost the composure she possessed even when her clothes were torn; the tears flowing from her eyes ran faster than the blood streaming from her wounded arms.

Her neatly arranged hair was now completely disheveled. The bio-beast quickly stabilized her bleeding wounds, but it could not halt the flow from her weeping eyes.

Pill after pill was stuffed into Lu Dongbin’s mouth. He Xiangu watched him tensely, seemingly oblivious to Qin Fen’s arrival.

That last intense barrage had temporarily scattered the bio-beast within Lu Dongbin’s body. Although still at the fourth level of fusion, it was in a dormant, inactive state.

With his sternum fractured in multiple places and even his internal organs damaged, Lu Dongbin’s life was now ebbing away without the bio-beast’s assistance. “To actually force the bio-beast into dormancy…” Lu Dongbin lay on the ground, gazing up at the dense canopy overhead, a bitter laugh escaping him internally.

He was not the foremost expert of Ultimate Martial Arts in this generation. That title truly belonged to the newly risen Qin Fen.

Though the battle was brief, the harvest was substantial. Moreover, no fight had ever felt as satisfying as this one.

“Pity… what a pity…” Lu Dongbin sighed to himself, blood erupting from his mouth like a fountain, tracing a path along his lips, down his neck, and pooling onto the ground. “Dongbin!” “Don’t speak anymore… rest and heal properly.” He Xiangu anxiously and carefully wiped the corners of Lu Dongbin’s mouth.

Another patch of her green camouflage uniform was stained with viscous serum. Lu Dongbin’s body had already recovered its normal shape.

His handsome face managed a strained smile for He Xiangu, though the pain of his injuries made the smile far from perfect. “Don’t stay here.

You should leave.” Lu Dongbin suppressed the increasingly dire state of his injuries: “Go now, before Qin Fen comes to finish us off.” Qin Fen stood some distance away, observing the pair amidst the ruins of the battlefield. He Xiangu suddenly sensed another presence and spun around quickly, spreading her arms to shield Lu Dongbin, much like an enraged mother hen fiercely protecting her chick, staring at Qin Fen with intense vigilance.

“This…?” Qin Fen felt his vision blur momentarily. In that instant, he caught a familiar shadow in He Xiangu—a shadow that reminded him of Song Jia.

It wasn't that He Xiangu and Song Jia looked alike, but rather that their core temperaments overlapped at that moment. Even unto death, they would protect the one most precious to them!

Qin Fen had felt this countless times with Song Jia, but alas, facing the might of the Qilin, Song Jia hadn't even been afforded the chance to fight to the death. “If it were simpler,” Qin Fen murmured, looking faintly toward the sky, “if I had sustained such a grave injury, and Song Jia were present…” The experts were different from the ordinary martial artists of the Heavenly Gate or the Underworld.

Qin Fen could afford to spare those foot soldiers, but he was unwilling to let these two go. Their destructive potential was too immense!

They could easily threaten countless others; such latent danger was too great. In the past, upon entering the forest, Qin Fen would have acted decisively without hesitation to kill them.

This wasn't about securing the secret of the New Energy or the New Metal; it was simply about eliminating loose ends for greater safety. As for the New Energy?

Letting the Tathagata know might be better. Finding the Tathagata was proving far too difficult for Qin Fen.

Even the Underworld didn't know the location of the Heavenly Gate's main base; perhaps only core members of the Heavenly Gate knew. But if the news of his possession of the New Energy were spread, Qin Fen believed someone would eventually lure the Tathagata out.

Then, the matter of the Gun King could finally be settled properly with him. Qin Fen slowly raised his arm.

His Earthly Gang true energy, gathered from his eighteen-star cultivation, concentrated in his palm, causing the entire hand to take on a jade-white sheen. “Wait!

Cough…” “Cough cough,” Lu Dongbin roared with effort, aggravating his wounds. Lying on the ground, he fixed his gaze on Qin Fen: “I know.

I’m likely close to death, and I accept it. To be honest, I have no qualifications, nor can I offer anything of value in exchange, but… I beg you to spare Xiangu.

I promise you, Xiangu will never seek revenge against you or those close to you in the future. She will retire.

Agreed?” Qin Fen watched Lu Dongbin quietly. Had any other opponent made such a request, he would have brought his blow down without hesitation.

But this opponent was different; someone capable of wielding the Ultimate Martial Dao would surely be a person of their word. Killing was not a pleasant act; Qin Fen disliked it.

If he could avoid killing without leaving future trouble, why commit murder? “Is that possible?” Lu Dongbin looked at Qin Fen.

If his opponent were anyone else, he would never have made such a plea. It was only because of the opponent’s profound martial arts that he dared to harbor this sliver of hope.

Only a true Ultimate Martial artist could understand another Ultimate Martial artist. “This is not one warrior begging you; this is a man requesting you save his woman.

Spare her.” “Lu Dongbin!” He Xiangu cried out softly, turning her head to glare at Lu Dongbin before quickly turning back to Qin Fen: “Do it.” Qin Fen looked at He Xiangu and Lu Dongbin. He had only ever seen scenes like this in third-rate television dramas before, scenes that wouldn't have elicited a flicker of emotion, but facing one firsthand now gave him a faint touch of sentiment.

Dying together—countless lovers had spoken those words, but how many could actually follow through when faced with mutual death? “Do it!” He Xiangu tilted her head back and closed her eyes.

“Since Dongbin cannot live, then strike.” Lu Dongbin had no effective medicine, and without the bio-beast’s healing, He Xiangu was already… “Your fist is clean,” Qin Fen said, holding his right arm up while looking at Lu Dongbin. “I want to know, if I don't kill you, what will you do if you encounter me or my people in the future?” Lu Dongbin stared at Qin Fen.

The question seemed utterly foolish. What future could a dying man possibly have?

“If they do not attack me, I will not attack them. Even if the Heavenly Gate commands me to attack, I will refuse.” Lu Dongbin paused before adding, “Provided Xiangu lives.” “I never assist enemies; cutting the roots to eliminate the threat is my principle,” Qin Fen’s voice suddenly turned icy.

“I have suffered the consequences of leaving roots intact too many times, so I have made this principle an iron rule of my life.” “That’s normal,” Lu Dongbin spat out a mouthful of blood. “I am the same.” “Your fist is clean; I admire it.

The peerless expert of the Ultimate Martial Dao in this age!” Qin Fen praised sincerely. “I believe you are not a despicable person.

Despicable people cannot strike with the purest, most potent fists in the world. Truthfully, I look forward to fighting you again; I benefited greatly from our previous exchange.” Lu Dongbin stared at Qin Fen, stunned.

He was no fool; if he couldn't discern the intention to spare them both from such words, he truly had lived his life in vain. Though his injuries were fatal and death was certain, Lu Dongbin felt joy that He Xiangu might survive.

“Woman.” Qin Fen reached into his dragon-patterned belt and pulled out a pill, tossing it toward He Xiangu. “To be honest, if I let only you live, I wouldn’t believe Lu Dongbin’s promise to restrain you for a lifetime.

The best way is to let Lu Dongbin live; that way, you won’t go mad. Give this to him.

Let’s gamble.” “This is…?” He Xiangu looked doubtfully at the pill in her hand. “It was made by a friend of mine—the Life-and-Death Pill.” Qin Fen glanced at the last one left in his belt.

Zarota had given him one last time, saying that each team member should have one, but since he had many enemies, it was safer to carry an extra. Though it might not guarantee a revival, it offered a chance.

“Life-and-Death Pill?” He Xiangu and Lu Dongbin both froze. The Federal Council did indeed have a name for such a pill, but it remained purely theoretical—experts were still debating its efficacy and synthesis methods.

Such a medicine should not exist in the world.