A massacre of a thousand facets. With the Pangu Axe ending things in an instant, Du Zhanpeng’s hands, capable of instantly dicing a man into meat cubes, gripped He Xiangu’s arms tightly. Had she not also been a powerhouse in the martial way, he would have already crushed her bones to dust. “Is what you say true?” Du Zhanpeng stared intently at He Xiangu. Even amidst the battlefield, he had absorbed every word spoken by Qin Fen and the others. The Seven Star Immortal Thunder Sacred Grade Wheel was truly unparalleled. It could even allow a person to resurrect after death; it was, in essence, a form of suspended animation, halting all cellular activity before an impact delivered by a specialized technique. What even the owner of this martial art, the Snake King, did not know was that the Seven Star Immortal Thunder Sacred Grade Wheel also encompassed this hidden method.

Du Zhanpeng understood clearly that this set of martial arts was exceptionally rare. If one knew and could utilize such a technique, after suffering a severe injury, they could take a gamble. If they succeeded, it wasn't merely recovery; they could even undergo a violent breakthrough and rapid advancement. If they failed, death was the natural consequence.

If the practitioner themselves was unaware of this technique within their own martial arts—the Seven Star Immortal Thunder Sacred Grade Wheel—then upon falling into a coma from grave injury, the technique might instinctively trigger, initiating this life-or-death wager. Sometimes, however, the technique would not activate at all.

Du Zhanpeng had been unaware of this technique back then. He had been lucky enough for it to trigger, but not everyone shared such fortune. Du Zhanpeng dared not gamble. Du Peng, too, could instinctively trigger this martial art without knowing it was there; if it failed to activate, there would be absolutely no chance. Du Zhanpeng seethed with regret. Because he always wanted Du Peng to resolve his own inner demons, he had never told Du Peng about the Seven Star Immortal Thunder Sacred Grade Wheel, presuming Qin Fen could guarantee Du Peng’s safety one hundred percent.

If the technique hadn't triggered, Du Peng’s only hope would have been the Insect Warriors! Even if he became an Insect Warrior! As long as he could survive, there was still hope for rectification. If life itself was gone, then all talk was futile.

He Xiangu winced from the pain of Du Zhanpeng’s grip. She merely frowned slightly to acknowledge the physical discomfort before speaking, “The portion I witnessed aligns with that. Both the Tathagata and the Jade Emperor sighed more than once over what became of Lan Caihe. They both said that if Lan Caihe were truly reborn, everything would be different. On Venus, the one currently commanding the most attention, also acclaimed as the foremost among the younger generation, is the Little Underworld King Hades.”

He Xiangu instinctively glanced at Qin Fen, secretly comparing the two young men—who was the true foremost among the young? Or was it Shangguan Chuanqi, whose true face no one had ever witnessed? After a brief contemplation, He Xiangu cast her vote for the title of foremost young master to Qin Fen. The other two were mere rumors; their true power had never been witnessed. Qin Fen’s strength was solid and formidable. The five top masters of the Heavenly Gate, followed by the six top masters of the Heavenly Gate and the Underworld combined, had besieged Qin Fen in two consecutive waves, yet Qin Fen had easily broken through both assaults. Even Lu Dongbin’s supreme martial art, the Fierce Net, had been defeated by Qin Fen’s own Net Martial Style.

“Underworld King Hades?” Du Zhanpeng’s two sword-like eyebrows lifted slightly, revealing a trace of relief. This former Divine Beast Warrior, the son of the White Tiger, had been crippled by Qin Fen on Earth, forever removing him from the path of martial contest—a consensus shared by the Divine Beasts across all planets. Yet, he had reappeared in everyone’s sight, asserting his presence in a heaven-defying manner, proclaiming that the Little Underworld King Hades was staging a king’s return!

How had the Little Underworld King Hades made such a powerful comeback? Du Zhanpeng knew very well. Rumor had it that the Kang Jin Dragon, in a desperate bid to grant him a new life, had staked everything on Hades. The former strongest combatant among the Venusian Constellation Generals, a supposed master of the Heavenly Gang Qi, had nearly exhausted the greater part of his life essence to reconstruct the Little Underworld King Hades with the aid of the Founding Society.

Hades was now an Insect Warrior, but he retained his own intellect, judgment, and execution capabilities, plunging the already chaotic Venus into greater disarray. Even the three major Constellation Generals had been unable to capture him. Had it been the uninjured Hades of the past, although he was a martial artist of peerless genius, it would have been almost impossible for him to elevate his strength across the board so rapidly.

“If Hades can, why not my little brother?” Du Zhanpeng’s eyebrows shot up. “Then let’s find Founder Yu—”

“This—” He Xiangu softly interrupted Du Zhanpeng. “Hades was merely crippled by Qin Fen, not killed. The Founding Society could complete the transformation entirely. But Lan Caihe was already dead. The members of the Founding Society stated that their current abilities are strictly theoretical; what I just described cannot be guaranteed one hundred percent.”

Du Zhanpeng stopped in his tracks, turning to leave. If Du Peng were to live in a state of neither living nor dead like Lan Caihe, not only would he vehemently disagree, but Du Peng himself surely wouldn’t be happy.

“Powerful martial artists are not omnipotent. Some problems cannot be solved even by Divine Beast Warriors. Of course, they can use their overwhelmingly supreme martial force to destroy any problem, rendering it no longer a problem.”

Once, during the rapid ascent of the martial way, a highly renowned scientist had repeatedly questioned the entire Federation’s pursuit of martial arts. That scientist was still alive today, though ancient. He persisted on life through various medical apparatuses within his own secluded base. If that scientist had focused on biochemical research, Du Zhanpeng was certain he would have achieved what the Founding Society was currently attempting, and perhaps even surpassed them. Regrettably, the scientist’s field of research was aimed in a different, even grander direction.

The battlefield fell into a hush. All present wore expressions of difficulty. Setting aside whether the Founding Society possessed the power to transform someone who had just died, even if they could, would they actually do it? Du Peng was not Lan Caihe, nor was he the Little Underworld King Hades. He was Qin Fen’s friend, the man who destroyed one of the Founding Society’s bases. This identity alone made it hard to believe they would assist Du Peng. More importantly, Du Zhanpeng didn't trust the Founding Society. The Little Underworld King Hades’ current state was normal, but who could guarantee that they hadn’t rigged something during his reformation? For instance, the domain of mental control—a field rumored to be highly valued by the Founding Society. Otherwise, why would those mindless Insect Warriors obey commands so uniformly, instead of attacking and causing chaos randomly?

“Perhaps I have a candidate,” Qin Fen broke the silence. “But I don’t know if he’ll agree to come…”

He Xiangu delivered her report with precision: “Within ten days of death, provided placement in a specialized environment. Any longer, and it’s impossible. Of course, the shorter the time, the better, otherwise—”

“Ten days? That means there’s still a chance.” Qin Fen activated the Martial Sky Technique, flying directly out above the forest canopy, ascending to an altitude of eight thousand meters. From this height, he could completely avoid interference from the forest and easily establish a connection via phone. In the sky above the natural graveyard, a host of experts skilled in the Martial Sky Technique suddenly appeared. Lu Dongbin had also brought Lan Caihe up into the sky.

“Qiangzi, it’s me.”

“Lao Qin! You’re being unfair! The beauties on Saturn are unexpectedly stunning!”

“You—”

“That’s right! I’m on Saturn! I only got here less than two hours ago! If Song Jia hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known about this. Speaking of which, you left without telling me. You’re truly not a good friend. I know you were worried about my safety, but can a man truly mature if he never faces any danger in his life, you think?”

Qin Fen was momentarily speechless. Lin Liqiang and Inzarotta possessed considerable martial power. To pursue scientific research while simultaneously elevating their martial cultivation past the level of Martial Arts Masters—this was already superhuman genius! If they had focused solely on the martial way, their achievements on that path would surely not be less than his own today. These two were—they could even be said to be geniuses on the same level as Xue Tian! But because they chose the path of research, their martial arts couldn't ultimately reach the height they were destined for. The fighting on Saturn between the Heavenly Gate and the Underworld was fierce, and Qin Fen didn't want his two friends involved. But since Lin Liqiang was on Saturn, it went without saying that Inzarotta was certainly right beside him.

“Anyway, Lao Qin! You’re rich now! Not only am I going to make you treat me to a massive meal this time, but for the next six months, you’re also covering the research costs for Lao Yin and me! If the penalty isn’t harsh enough, you’ll never learn your lesson.”

“Du Peng is dead.”

“What? How could Lao Du have—” Who did it!” Du Zhanpeng was somewhat surprised. Lin Liqiang’s face on the projection screen darkened, killing intent instantly flooding every muscle in his face. The easy banter of moments before vanished entirely, his eyes filled with shock and regret.

“The Underworld. The primary culprit has already been executed,” Qin Fen stepped aside, allowing Lin Liqiang to see Du Zhanpeng and Du Peng’s brother. “Now I know a method that might offer a chance to bring Du Peng back to life.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Help him reincarnate as an Insect Warrior.”

“Huh? You know about that too?” Lin Liqiang showed three parts surprise on his face. “I just started looking into this topic recently, but my current data is incomplete. If I had a few more years—” I can’t do it right now.”

“No data? I’ll snatch it,” Qin Fen looked at Lin Liqiang. “Rota is here too?” Inzarotta hadn’t spoken. He pushed Lin Liqiang’s face aside with one hand and stepped up to the projection screen.

“I have a feeling that I might need both of you to work together, so—”

“Fine. Location.” Inzarotta’s words were simple, three words that conveyed everything perfectly clear.

This is today’s third update, with a word count roughly equivalent to yesterday’s fourth update. Frankly, I’m frustrated. I lost a bet with a friend earlier this month: I wagered I would update 300,000 characters, but I only managed 280,000, falling short by 20,000. However, I’m quite happy because this is the month with my highest word count in the last few months. Although I didn’t reach 300,000, there has indeed been significant progress. Some friends suggested after this major arc began that Qin Fen had entered a side quest instance. I want to clarify that this is part of the main storyline. This book has two main lines: one visible main line—searching for Qin Zhan—and another dark main line, which is slowly being uncovered. This line is critically important because the two lines will eventually converge into one! So please don’t skip subscribing just because you think it’s a side instance. I remember my subscription count dropped by over a hundred when the first Insect Warriors appeared because some readers labeled it a side quest. That was frustrating; it was actually one of the threads of the dark main line! Well, the last day of May is almost over. Tomorrow is June 1st, a new month, Children’s Day! Gao Lou is asking everyone for a Children’s Day gift: please give me your guaranteed monthly tickets. Although my age has long surpassed the Children’s Day demographic, I possess an utterly innocent childlike heart! I beg for guaranteed monthly tickets, as a gift for Children’s Day!