He Xiangu stared at the small, perfectly round pill in her hand, lost in thought. In this world, the simplest way to save a life was to give someone a good medicine, and the simplest way to kill someone was exactly the same—by administering a poison.

Qin Fen watched He Xiangu's hesitant expression and sighed softly. For He Xiangu to possess such formidable strength now, her mind must be sharp. It was just a pity that after continuous defeats today, and with her beloved injured, her mental state was not what one would expect of a true master.

“If I want to kill you, do I need to use poison?” These simple ten words sounded arrogant at first hearing, yet they were an undeniable fact.

A young man capable of fighting the seven greatest martial artists of the current age single-handedly needed no reliance on poison when facing two defeated subordinates.

“The Life-and-Death Pill, the Hall of Life and Death,” Lü Dongbin looked at the medicine in He Xiangu’s hand and repeatedly praised, “To think that a Life-and-Death Pill actually exists in this world! The person who could create this medicine is a genius among geniuses.” He Xiangu looked worriedly at Lü Dongbin as he prepared to swallow the pill. This substance was no Golden Elixir of Salvation from the Grand Supreme Elder; the Life-and-Death Pill, as its name implied, meant that taking it was akin to making a final wager with the Grim Reaper at the gambling table.

Whether one won or lost had absolutely nothing to do with willpower! Simply shouting in one's heart that one didn't want to die would not guarantee survival.

The Hall of Life and Death—"This is a medicine that gambles purely on fate! If strong willpower alone guaranteed survival, then this medicine, if placed in the hands of any martial arts master in this era, would cease to be the Life-and-Death Pill." Which person who managed to become a martial arts master was not mentally unyielding?

Lü Dongbin understood, and He Xiangu understood as well: this time, they truly had to gamble. Regardless of whether they won or lost this wager, both of them owed Qin Fen a favor.

Favors, to many people, were worthless, like dog droppings. But to others, favors were as massive as the heavens themselves.

Lü Dongbin’s fierce and powerful martial path dictated his view on favors; for him, they were certainly greater than heaven.

The Life-and-Death Pill entered his stomach, and Lü Dongbin closed his eyes, doing the only thing he could: wait for death.

Qin Fen looked at Lü Dongbin, then at He Xiangu, and finally cast a glance toward the Insect Martial Artist Lan Caihe, who was not far away, his head buried in the ground, his backside raised high—a figure who was once a renowned powerhouse.

One brush with death, one rebirth, a sliver of cognitive ability—this single battle had thoroughly dredged up the terror of mortality within the previously celebrated powerhouse.

Only those who had truly experienced death knew the process involved. Lan Caihe had faced death and annihilation, so he feared dying more than anyone; it was almost a complete instinct.

Previously, this instinct was suppressed by his ferocious temperament and immense power. Now, a single attack, a mere glance from Qin Fen, had forced out his most deeply rooted instinct: the fear of death.

Qin Fen’s gaze returned to Lü Dongbin. The reason for saving these two, aside from a surge of compassion, was the issue concerning the Insect Martial Artist. If the Heavenly Gate had connected with the Insect Martial Artists, then this matter absolutely had to be thoroughly investigated.

Not for the Federation, nor for the military, nor for the countless common people—but solely for a promise made years ago in the Golden Triangle to Chen Feiyu: the promise to help him locate the lair of that terrifying organization, the Genesis Society, and to destroy it.

Likewise, it wasn't to prevent further suffering for the masses, but purely to exact personal revenge for Chen Feiyu’s sister.

Qin Fen never considered himself a great man, capable of worrying about the nation and its people. He was merely a person with normal, human emotions; the only difference between him and ordinary people was that the power in his hands was infinitely greater!

In this day's battle, Qin Fen finally understood the distinction between Earthly Stellar Force (Di Gang) and Human Stellar Force (Ren Gang). The power that fused martial arts with stellar energy was far beyond what the Human Stellar Force faction could compare to.

Even among martial artists of the same stellar ranking, the gap between Human Stellar Force and Earthly Stellar Force was the difference between heaven and earth! Achieving Earthly Stellar Force meant surpassing the realm of ordinary martial arts masters.

Becoming Earthly Stellar Force was truly stepping into the ranks of Martial Arts Grandmasters!

A span of ten-plus seconds was not long, yet Lü Dongbin showed no signs of departing with the Lord of Death. His expression was calm, showing no trace of suffering.

Qin Fen recalled the instruction manual provided by Inzarotta, which explicitly detailed the peerless tyranny of the Life-and-Death Pill: even a martial artist like the Qilin, if they dared to swallow it and failed to use their own domineering internal energy to resist, would perish within three seconds!

Inzarotta had guaranteed that the Federation would never again have a living Qilin divine beast martial artist.

Lü Dongbin surviving for over ten seconds after ingesting the pill was enough to explain everything: the Lord of Death had lost this round at the gambling table.

Lü Dongbin slowly opened his eyes, his pupils filled with disbelief. The previously deteriorating wounds inside his body, the cells that had lost their vitality, were now rapidly dividing and regenerating! They were recovering at a pace nearly matching that of the Bio-Beasts.

His pale complexion instantly lost its sickly hue, and his ashen lips regained their color. His fingers, which had been too weak to move, could now clench into fists.

"Ah..." A scream suddenly pierced the air in the nearby woods. Qin Fen looked up toward the sound, and instantly, over a dozen screams erupted continuously from the jungle, followed by a massive boom of martial energy impact, a powerful force surging towards the sky.

Qin Fen recognized that vital energy; it belonged to the Night Wanderer, a master from the Underworld! This energy flared violently and then weakened, as if struck by a severe blow.

At the same moment, a different aura exploded from the woods! An indescribable aura of cruel savagery, thick with the smell of blood! The instant that aura erupted, Qin Feng even felt something profoundly evil.

Evil? Qin Fen had encountered countless martial artists since his debut, and the Sacred Martial Hall was full of all sorts of practitioners, yet he had never encountered an aura or power emanating from a martial artist that carried a taint of evil.

"Brother Zhan Peng, he's appeared! Let's move!" The Jungle Rangers at the very front raised their right arms straight out horizontally, blocking all the eager members. "The people from the Heavenly Gate and the Underworld—they aren't our main concern. Even if we consumed them, it wouldn't increase our power by much. Wait a little longer. Over there, where the battlefield is a wreck, there are injured people like Lü Dongbin and He Xiangu."

"Even if their injuries appear to be recovering now, their previous exhaustion won't vanish instantly. It would be strange not to covet that stuff. And what about that Night Wanderer? Isn't he also running toward the battlefield ruins?"

"But Du Peng—"

"What's the fear? Before that bastard tries to lay a hand on Du Peng... he has to take down Qin Fen first." "That's right, Brother Zhan’s younger brother is far stronger than Brother Zhan Peng’s younger brother." "Alas, if this kid could just untangle that knot in his heart, he wouldn't be so far behind, even if he wasn't the best." A sigh sounded out just as the Night Wanderer burst out of the jungle. His speed was incredible, even faster than when he fought Qin Fen earlier. It was hard to believe this was the state of someone just injured from a fight. With the assistance of the Bio-Beasts, his arms were rapidly recovering, blood staining his entire body. He looked utterly lost as he fled frantically.

"Monster, monster!" The Night Wanderer seemed not to see Qin Fen, brushing right past him, his mouth endlessly repeating one phrase.

Qin Fen remembered that in the projection footage from the Saturn Military Department, the captain whose throat was slit and vocal cords torn recited those exact two words with his lips before dying: Monster!

The Night Wanderer’s speed was terrifying; the pressure of imminent death made his strength slightly greater than before.

In the blink of an eye, the Night Wanderer was far behind Qin Fen. "Not good!" The Jungle Ranger at the front let out a cry of alarm at the same moment as Qin Fen. Dust suddenly churned up violently beneath Qin Fen’s feet as he launched himself back to provide aid. The Jungle Ranger’s armor instantly shattered, and a figure flew out of the powered exoskeleton.

In the instant they reacted, the Night Wanderer had lunged in front of Du Peng. All the terror in his eyes transformed into a fanatical killing intent. He instantly twisted his waist, shook his shoulders, and targeted the center line of Du Peng's body. His right arm pulled back to his waist, then lashed forward like a torpedo launched from a submarine—a spear-like chop attack, piercing and smashing directly toward Du Peng’s chest.

This thrust was the Night Wanderer’s hidden assassination technique, the "Water-Splitting Chop," which could be used for thrusts or upward sweeping strikes. It could easily turn a massive waterfall on Saturn into two sheets of silk cloth with one upward hand-chop.

Qin Fen hadn't anticipated it, Du Zhanpeng hadn't anticipated it, and even Du Peng himself hadn't expected that this Underworld expert, who appeared completely terrified and focused only on escape, would suddenly harbor murderous intent toward someone while fleeing!

The change was too sudden! The Night Wanderer’s action was impulsive; the Underworld forces were almost wiped out on this mission, and they had failed to secure the new energy source or the new metal. Punishment upon return was unavoidable. If he could slay a member of the military who had seized the new energy and metal, everything would change!

Moreover, if that monster behind him saw the corpse of an expert, it might buy him a little time to escape.

The danger struck suddenly, and Du Peng was unprepared. He swept both hands across his chest—this was not a defense, but an offense! It was the cutting slash of the Formless Water Bird Technique!

Chhhk! The Night Wanderer, already wounded, instantly suffered several bloody gashes on his arm. His thrusting fingers suddenly clenched into a fist, rotating to smash through the protective layer and strike Du Peng’s armored chest.

Bang... Crack! The Night Wanderer's speed was too great. The Jungle Ranger's steel-metal armor shattered instantly, and the ribs beneath were next to break with sickening cracks. If the fist had advanced just half an inch more, the Night Wanderer was certain he would take Du Peng's life...

The bright sky instantly darkened. The heat in the air surged dramatically. The Night Wanderer felt an immense pressure bearing down from above. If his fist had advanced even a tiny bit further, his own life would be forfeit. At this critical juncture, the Night Wanderer snatched his hand back, crossing both arms upward in the posture of the "Heavenly King Holding Up the Pagoda," meeting Caesar's supremely yang Emperor's Fist.