A million-strong army trampled forward, blotting out the sun, their steps rattling the flying swords, each hand either gripping powerful energy weapons or controlling a second magnetic flying sword to slay the descendants birthed by the Queen Bee.

And those evolved creatures, produced by the Queen Bee, possessing all manner of uncanny abilities and robust physiques, were destined to ignite a fierce battle; then… the bio-mimetic six-barrel Gatling guns, the bio-mimetic fighter jets, the bio-mimetic mechanized armored beasts… Qin Fen, contemplating the colossal scale of the impending war, the scene of countless living things hacking at one another, couldn't help but feel profoundly shaken.

“That person…” Qin Fen ventured a cautious guess. “Is it Qing Long?” “What do you think?” the Brain’s voice carried three parts mockery and seven parts pointless rhetoric. “Now, we just wait for the Grand Assembly. True life-or-death combat generates a high probability of producing Divine Beast Warriors! The martial artist level across the entire Federation won’t decline because of this brutal slaughter…” It will rise! Qin Fen didn’t dispute the Brain’s judgment, yet he knew that merely practicing martial arts alone could never forge a true powerhouse. Cruel as it sounded, every genuine martial artist had to walk the path to true strength through one life-or-death battle after another.

Qin Fen had never heard of becoming the world’s number one by secluding oneself at home for intense practice, and he absolutely did not believe such a thing existed in this world.

The Grand Assembly—Qin Fen couldn't recall how many times he’d heard that name. Initially, to those unaware of the deeper context, it was merely a massive martial stage showcasing the formidable power of martial artists and guiding humanity toward martial practice.

Now, however, the Grand Assembly carried another meaning! It gathered the world’s strongest experts, employing methods so brutal they bordered on inhuman, all to forge warriors possessing sufficient, undeniable strength.

“Young man, prepare yourself well. Based on the information I’ve obtained, the date for the Grand Assembly is drawing very near.” The Brain offered a measure of counsel. “Set aside your feud with Tathagata for now; the bigger picture takes precedence.” “Thank you for the reminder.” Qin Fen rose from his chair, straightening his spine as he spoke: “I will certainly attend the Grand Assembly. But the murder of my Master—I will not let that go.” “Young man, the bigger picture…” “The bigger picture? Why must it always be me who considers the bigger picture? Why not someone else?” Qin Fen shook his head, his eyes holding no room for negotiation whatsoever! So many people loved to preach putting the greater good first, but they always demanded others adhere to it, never themselves.

I am not a saint, nor am I Ying Ya, possessing a flawless character; I am just a simple, ordinary person. Every night when I close my eyes, I see the scenes of my Master teaching me, and I dream of my Master’s tragic demise.” “Sigh…” The Brain let out a long sigh, ceasing its attempts to persuade Qin Fen. ‘The greater good’ sounded magnificent, but wasn’t it also a form of selfishness? Using a grand, honorable reason to forcefully stifle another person’s thoughts and actions.

Chen Feiyu watched Qin Fen without the slightest surprise. For a young man dedicated to the path of boxing and martial arts, if his will could be so easily swayed, then what he practiced wasn't the Divine Fist Way, but the Way of Mud.

This trip to the Sea of Stones was neither a success nor a failure. Chen Feiyu gazed at the Brain suspended in the nutrient fluid, ferocity flashing in his eyes several times before dying out again. Were these people not pitiable, too? They had only sought to open up a space for humanity’s greater prosperity; their initial intent was just that, yet it triggered so many subsequent events.

“My true enemy is Zhang Hao’s Founding Council,” Chen Feiyu shook his head forcefully. “Between you and me, from this day forward, there are no lingering grudges.” The Brain’s sigh carried a hint of disappointment, which Chen Feiyu caught. He secretly speculated that perhaps the Brain had simply existed too long, burdened by too many secrets, and yearned for release through this means, never expecting that he himself would refuse to act.

“Young man…” The Brain called out to Qin Fen, who was already turning to leave. “Have you ever heard of the concept of Integrated Intelligences?” Qin Fen’s foot stopped mid-step. He turned back, looking at the living human brain suspended in the nutrient solution with astonishment.

‘Integrated Intelligence’—this was a topic in biochemistry, a subject in medicine, perhaps even a broader topic in scientific research.

Lin Liqiang had once joked to Qin Fen that if he ever reached the stage of an Integrated Intelligence, he truly didn't know if he could resist that craving, whether he would transform into a bloodthirsty demon king, hunting down brilliant scientists everywhere to forcibly merge their skulls with his own.

To explain in Lin Liqiang’s words, Integrated Intelligence wasn't about creating an advanced computer connected to a brain; it was the cutting-edge method of truly merging two—or more—human brains using specialized techniques.

This procedure was something that remained purely theoretical within contemporary scientific academia. According to speculation, the probability of achieving Integrated Intelligence with current technological standards was nearly zero. Forcibly merging them would likely create a lunatic with super-intelligence, combining all memory data from both individuals, but suffering catastrophic mental breakdown. In short, one slip-up and while it could produce a super-genius, an invincible scientific prodigy possessing two sets of memories and supreme intellect, it could just as easily result in a person with critical mental instability—a world-ending madman or some other scientific monstrosity.

“I am an Integrated Intelligence, and not just two…” The aged voice echoed in the room, striking Qin Fen’s mental world like an unstoppable bomb. He looked up at the brain floating in the nutrient fluid, waiting for the continuation.

In this world, no one would approach you out of nowhere to reveal a monumental secret without a reason. If someone did, that person was either insane, seeking to boast, or had ulterior motives; they would never reveal a secret merely for the sake of revealing it. It always served a specific purpose.

Qin Fen waited for the brain before him to state the reason after delivering this massive secret.

“The bodies of scientists, for the most part, cannot compare to those of martial artists. Regarding lifespan, although we have various forms of maintenance, as martial arts deepen, our nutritional upkeep falls further behind the martial artists.” The aged voice held a hint of self-mockery. “As time passed, many of the Founding Council’s first-generation scientists passed away one after another. But if that happens, our research vanishes along with our brains. What can truly be recorded in books amounts only to common knowledge and accomplishments, not genuine wisdom.” “True knowledge cannot be recorded with words!”

As Qin Fen listened to the Brain speak, Lin Liqiang’s proud declaration echoed in his mind—a phrase he was now hearing again from this disembodied brain.

“Someone proposed a perilous method, a research scientist with a genius-level brain. That method was Integrated Intelligence! And at that time, his research held a 23.12757733 percent chance of success.”

This success rate might seem small to ordinary people, but for certain scientists, it was incredibly high.

Based on Qin Fen’s understanding of Lin Liqiang, he would dare attempt anything with a success rate exceeding ten percent. It was precisely this immense audacity, coupled with rapid on-the-spot reactions, that propelled Lin Liqiang to his current pinnacle position among bio-engineered beasts.

Clearly, the predecessors of the Brain before him, those scientists, were just like Lin Liqiang; faced with such a stunning success rate and having no retreat path, they took the plunge!

“At that time, we weren't entirely certain. So, we abandoned our physical forms…” The aged voice resonated with a faint sorrow. “The body offers us much convenience, but it also brings aging. More importantly, none of us could guarantee whether we would remain functional after the Intelligence Merge.”

A brain without a shell, even if it turned mad, would possess far less destructive power than a madman still bound by flesh, wouldn't it? Qin Fen listened quietly, gaining even deeper reverence for these scientists. He couldn't detect any deception in their voice; if it were a lie, the artifice of that deception was too profound—no one would fail to be fooled by it.

“These years have passed, and we have discovered that merging everything together was not entirely the correct path,” the Brain continued its narration. “Although collecting various specializations within a single brain allows for mutual verification and mutual inspiration, this very fact prevents true focus. A brain, after all, is not an emotionless computer.” “You wish to separate?” Qin Fen was unsurprised by his deduction. Revealing this secret demanded a reason, and now it seemed that reason was likely the desire to separate.

“Yes! To divide into several distinct, specialized domains,” the Brain paused before continuing. “Of course, this isn't the only reason for separation. There is another crucial factor besides these.” Qin Fen returned to his seat. He had received too many astonishing pieces of information today. As one shocking revelation after another landed, he was becoming almost numb to surprise. Though he knew the next piece of information would likely also be astonishing, he remained quietly watching the Brain without any anticipation.

“Mental Power—the subject of Integrated Intelligence is widely known among Federation scientists. However, almost everyone only knows about the resulting growth in knowledge; they are unaware that this is only half the function of an Integrated Intelligence,” the Brain’s emotion became agitated. “Compared to the inheritance of knowledge, the acquisition of Mental Power is in no way secondary to the knowledge transfer!”

Mental Power? Qin Fen frowned. What was that? As he became involved in broader matters and witnessed stranger and stranger occurrences, he had never once heard of Mental Power—not even Lin Liqiang had mentioned it.