The news of the Great Divine Beast Warriors' success cast a tense, almost combative atmosphere over the Ten Stars, compelling nearly every powerhouse to retreat into solitary cultivation. Though no open conflict was occurring, the very air signaled that this quiet was merely the calm before a storm due to settle in six months.

Qin Fen arrived at the massive spaceport where colossal starships hung, vast enough to instantly blot out swathes of the sun, casting the ground below in oppressive shadow as they slowly docked at the Yu Lei Starship complex.

Before long, two powerfully built middle-aged men appeared at the disembarkation point. Di Shi Tian, with his purplish-crimson hair, broad shoulders, and commanding stature, stood out markedly among the crowd.

Empty-handed, without any luggage—the epitome of light travel—this was how the two chief masters of the Holy Martial Hall presented themselves, displaying an ease even greater than when Qin Fen and his group first entered Saturn.

Seeing the two masters he hadn't seen in many days, Qin Fen quickly advanced a couple of steps, bowed slightly, and clasped his fists in greeting. "Masters."

Xue Tian grinned as he returned the gesture. "Masters, have you gained any new insights into the Martial Dao in these recent days? Your disciple hasn't learned anything new in quite some time."

As two men with completely different temperaments, the expressions of Fei Lei Luo and Di Shi Tian shifted synchronously. Xue Tian’s terrifying learning capacity was severely undermining the confidence of the two Holy Martial Hall powerhouses.

Xue Tian strode forward with a placid smile, hands clasped together, only for Fei Lei Luo to abruptly lift his leg and lash out with a scolding kick. "Get lost! You’ve already absorbed everything I know! Is tormenting your old master for fun such a pleasant pastime for you?"

Xue Tian skillfully sidestepped just enough for the kick to graze his backside, then continued to grin while rubbing the spot. "Master is truly a Master. I just exerted my full strength and managed to discern that your kick contained one hundred and eight thousand variations, and I devised countermeasures for all of them. Yet, I never expected your kick to possess one hundred and eight thousand and one variation—I still couldn't dodge it. I am truly in awe, worthy of being my Master."

Fei Lei Luo watched as Xue Tian praised the kick he had thrown as if it were more formidable than the ultimate techniques of the Divine Beast Warriors. Nevertheless, he was pleased inside. "Boy, actually, that kick I threw had one hundred and eight thousand and two variations. Your Martial Dao cultivation is still insufficient; you actually failed to perceive it. Your master is quite hurt by that."

"What Master teaches is correct. This disciple will certainly sleep less! No! I mean, practice harder! I will strive to perceive all one hundred and eight thousand and two variations of your kick, Master."

Xue Tian, his face wreathed in smiles, carried his style of "given an inch, he immediately climbs a mile" to its absolute zenith, amusing even the usually stern-faced Di Shi Tian, who could no longer completely suppress the smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.

After a tight embrace with Qin Fen, Di Shi Tian fell silent, extending his right hand, palm down, in a gesture of a handshake toward Qin Fen.

Qin Fen was not a chatterbox like Xue Tian; his temperament and disposition aligned better with Di Shi Tian's nature. Seeing his master assume the handshaking posture, he instantly understood that Di Shi Tian intended to test him in a martial spar.

In the throng surrounding the spaceport docking bay, Qin Fen and Di Shi Tian gripped each other's hands slowly but firmly. A vast, boundless power immediately surged from their arms into their palms.

Di Shi Tian’s new martial path also leaned toward absolute dominance, sharing a certain kinship with Qin Fen's Divine Fist Dao. The instant these two ultimate forces collided, the ground beneath the spaceport shuddered violently. Everyone felt as if a gymnasium treadmill had suddenly appeared under their feet, instantly starting and stopping abruptly, jolting them so severely they nearly lost their balance and sat down hard.

Not only the people, but even the waiting lounge of the spaceport swayed several times, mimicking an unpredictable, localized earthquake on Saturn. Numerous decorative ceramic pots placed on the floor crashed down during the tremor, shattering into debris.

A massive, muffled roar erupted directly from deep beneath the ground. Many people hastily covered their ears, though even in their panic, they sought the source of the explosive sound.

Di Shi Tian’s arm vibrated violently in that instant, followed by a slight wobble of his body. The hands locked together had already completely separated; the actual duration of the grip was less than one-thousandth of a second, but the resulting effect was beyond imagination.

Qin Fen's expression remained composed as he bowed lightly. "Master."

Fei Lei Luo, astonished, grabbed Di Shi Tian's right arm with both hands, examining his old friend up and down. "The electricity guy—you lost?"

Lost! Fei Lei Luo had been aware before arriving that Qin Fen’s strength had grown immensely, but he hadn't anticipated Qin Fen being even stronger than imagined. In a mere instant, Di Shi Tian, one of the chief masters of the Holy Martial Hall, had been defeated!

No one understood Di Shi Tian better than Fei Lei Luo. As an old friend and rival, Fei Lei Luo knew precisely how powerful Di Shi Tian was. He had expected a draw, or perhaps a slight disadvantage leading to Di Shi Tian’s loss, but he never expected his disciple—that rookie from days past—to have advanced to such a terrifying level upon their reunion.

"Monster!" Fei Lei Luo slapped Qin Fen's shoulder. "You brat, you truly live up to your nickname, 'Monster.' How long has it been? Back then, I could sit still, close my eyes, and knock out a hundred of you with one finger. Now you are this strong? This is incredibly joyful, and yet utterly unacceptable! Boy, are you trying to scare me to death? I’m telling you, I don't have heart disease, but if I keep interacting with you, I’m afraid I might develop one."

Di Shi Tian stared blankly at Qin Fen, taking a moment to process it: I actually lost? In that fleeting moment, Qin Fen hadn't unleashed his usual vast and unparalleled impact force. Instead, he had utilized successive, extreme vibrational shocks, shattering the power Di Shi Tian was projecting. This technique was far more advanced than simply accumulating strength for a single devastating strike.

How long had it been? Di Shi Tian gazed calmly at Qin Fen, yet he couldn't conceal the shock his disciple's preliminary move had delivered. Though he always knew Qin Fen was a piece of unparalleled jade and had calculated his growth rate multiple times, he never expected Qin Fen to reach this level! That attack—it was the Heavenly Stellar True Qi! In such a short span of time, he had comprehended the Heavenly Stellar True Qi?

In all these years, Di Shi Tian had never stopped contemplating, researching, and cultivating martial arts, yet he still hadn't broken through the Stellar realm into the Heavenly Stellar. His disciple had crossed that threshold first. How could this not shock him?

"No! I can't let this electricity-playing guy have all the fun. Qin Fen, come on!" Fei Lei Luo stepped forward, extending his hand. "Come, come, come! Let's have a go with me, too."

Two powerful hands firmly slapped together. The immense impact instantly erupted again, but this time, centered on their joined palms, it whipped out a wave of forced air radiating outward. It made the clothes of those nearby snap loudly, as if the spaceport had been suddenly struck by gale-force winds. The ground tremors immediately reappeared.

Fei Lei Luo, benefiting from Di Shi Tian’s experience, put even more ferocious power into his strike, resulting in an even greater recoil than Di Shi Tian had experienced. He cried out, "Ouch!" while stumbling backward repeatedly, shaking the arm that felt as if hundreds of steel needles were piercing it. He stammered, "Damn it, Qin Fen! Can you be any more of a monster? You’re ridiculously overpowered!"

Di Shi Tian, witnessing the embarrassment of his long-time rival and friend, allowed his smile to widen slightly.

Fei Lei Luo saw Di Shi Tian smiling, and a grin gradually spread across his own face. After a few short seconds, both men threw their heads back and burst into loud laughter. Their bold voices caused the spaceport to vibrate again, prompting more people to cover their ears, muttering inwardly about the uncivilized powerhouses who showed no regard for public safety, wondering if they intended to cause concussions and face medical compensation claims.

Fei Lei Luo was ecstatic; Di Shi Tian was equally overjoyed. In this world, what truly loving master would not hope that their disciple would one day surpass them? Taking on a disciple was not merely about passing down knowledge; more often, it was the hope that one's beloved student would carry the Martial Dao to even greater heights.

Qin Fen’s might, while initially a boundless shock to them both, quickly turned into overwhelming good news. Their disciple had finally surpassed them! This was not a negative event; quite the opposite, it was magnificent tidings!

The chief masters of the Holy Martial Hall had all taken on disciples. Setting aside Qin Fen’s group, other masters also had apprentices. The strength levels among the chief masters were almost equal; determining who was truly superior required a fight to the death, where the last one standing would be the strongest.

However, this "last one standing" outcome did not align with the ideals of the Martial Venerable or the Six Stars of the Holy Martial.

The masters constantly competed amongst themselves, each seeking to prove their own supremacy.

Eventually, they turned their focus to the next generation, comparing their own disciples against those of others. If a disciple proved formidable, it naturally implied the master was equally formidable.

Qin Fen was the first disciple of both Di Shi Tian and Fei Lei Luo. Qin Fen's squad was their first batch of students. Now, their very first disciple had surpassed them—the first among all the disciples taken by the Holy Martial Hall masters to achieve this.

In a sense, Di Shi Tian and Fei Lei Luo had won; they had bested the other chief masters of the Holy Martial Hall. If any master disagreed, they wouldn't mind having Qin Fen spar with that master's disciple to see whose student was truly stronger!

"Good! Wonderful!" Fei Lei Luo clapped Qin Fen on the shoulder, looking like a father seeing his son truly accomplish something great, with a hint of moisture in his eyes. "Boy, you’ve brought honor to me! I didn't choose the wrong disciple."

Di Shi Tian shifted his attention to Xue Tian, his shoulder twitching slightly as he reached out.

"Don't!" Xue Tian frantically waved both hands in front of him. "Master, you deal in electricity. Old Qin is tough and thick-skinned; he doesn't mind the shocks. I, however, have delicate skin and flesh; I fear that stuff. Let's not mess around. Besides, I recently went on a major offensive against Guanyin with my blade—it was a heavy bleed. My body is still weak; I can’t take any more rough treatment." (To be continued)