At the Saturn Military Base, Lin Liqiang gazed down at the Demon Commander struggling weakly beneath him, yet still clinging to a tenacious vitality, his eyes shining with delight. "It seems your Divine Way manifestation has truly reached perfection this time," he murmured.

"Good, good! This is excellent." Lin Liqiang repeatedly nodded as he surveyed the ground littered with the corpses of Demon Commanders—treasures too precious for even a mountain of gold to acquire. "Yang Lie, make your preparations. I will settle my current affairs, and then I will gamble my life for you."

"Deal!" Yang Lie glanced at Qin Fen beside him, solidifying his resolve for the life-or-death gamble. Without evolving into a New Human, defeating Qin Fen within the timeframe of the Heroes' Gathering was simply impossible.

"Don't forget me," Solomon clapped Lin Liqiang on the shoulder. "See if any of the New Human paths suit me. I want to take a gamble too."

"You?" Lin Liqiang studied Solomon for a long time. "Then you'll need to leave me a blood sample first so I can research. The New Human system is vast; even now, I can only say I've barely brushed the outermost edges of the threshold. Truly understanding everything about New Humans isn't that simple."

Seeing that his younger companions showed no sign of leaving, Qin Fen quietly exited the room. The Heroes' Gathering was approaching; though their mental states were calm, the desire to win remained undiminished. The New Humans were certainly a field worthy of admiration. If there were an evolutionary path suitable for him, Lin Liqiang surely wouldn't hide it. Since his old friend hadn't proposed an evolutionary direction for him regarding New Humans, there was no need to even ask; he simply needed to wait patiently.

The imminent convocation of the Heroes' Gathering drew significant attention not only at the Saturn Military Base but also among other martial artists, and even many non-professional fighters found their eyes drawn to the event.

Currently, across the entire Federation, even those below the Meteor-level knew about the Heroes' Gathering.

Since the emergence of Divine Beast Martial Artists, and with the establishment of the Heroes' Gathering, the most coveted spectacles in the world were no longer the old Olympic Games or the World Cup, but this Gathering jointly founded by the Divine Beast Martial Artists.

Now, with only a few months remaining until the Heroes' Gathering, as news spread outward, the gaze of everyone in the Federation was fixed upon it. Especially after rumors circulated that this session might produce a new Divine Beast Martial Artist, the entire Federation erupted in commotion.

People speculated: Who would be the ultimate victor of this Heroes' Gathering? The veteran Divine Beast Generals from Venus? Tian Di and Dizang, who had fought fiercely for days on Saturn? Or perhaps that group of young martial artists who had risen like a comet?

On Saturn, the Tianmen Headquarters, much like the Difu, had always been extremely secretive locations. In the past, this secrecy was a crucial test of a Divine Beast Martial Artist's capability. If one couldn't even safeguard the location of their own base, it implied weakness in commanding subordinates, disqualifying them from being a true Divine Beast Martial Artist.

Finding an opponent's headquarters and launching an attack was also a test for a martial artist aspiring to become a Divine Beast. Back on Jupiter, the headquarters of Tianmen and Difu were discovered by Qing Long, leading to their complete destruction and forcing the two leaders to relocate from Jupiter to Saturn—a fact that brought profound shame to both powerhouses, leading to even greater secrecy on Saturn.

Today, at this mysterious Tianmen Headquarters, an uninvited guest had arrived.

He was clad in a dark cyan robe, cinched at the waist with a pale gold belt. His broad forehead, pointed cheeks, piercing, glittering tiger eyes, and sharp sword-like eyebrows lent him an indescribable air of majesty.

Ordinary people felt a profound timidity in the presence of this light red-haired Westerner, akin to the feeling of the living facing the Grim Reaper.

The vast main hall of the Tianmen Headquarters was illuminated brightly. There were no high-tech electric lights here, only ever-burning oil lamps, using reflections from various mirrors to create an ambiance like an immortal realm.

At the head of this ethereal scene sat a chair forged entirely of pure gold. An Easterner was seated upon it, wearing golden dragon robes embroidered with five-clawed dragons. Beneath his black, thin eyebrows, a pair of imposing eyes radiated an aura of supreme dominance, subtly emanating a power capable of overturning the heavens, compelling everyone to kneel in submission.

This imposing aura advanced halfway into the hall before halting. It met the presence of the middle-aged Westerner standing in the hall, clad in the dark cyan robe. The two forces collided, yet they did not erupt in world-shattering devastation. Instead, they adhered to each other like two pieces of sticky taffy.

"Brother Dizang, it has been long."

The middle-aged man seated on the golden throne spoke slowly, his single sentence instantly revealing the true identity of the visitor who needed no overt action to suppress the imposing presences of Houzi (Monkey) and Yang Jian—an identity revealed purely through aura.

Dizang! The strongest martial artist of the Difu. Trailing behind him, his face flushed dark as soot, was a tall, dark-browed, big-eyed man with distinctly Eastern features. A jade belt around his waist was embroidered with three characters, signifying his rank: Qin Guang Wang!

The strongest and the second strongest of the Difu! Both had arrived at Tianmen!

"Brother Tian Di, you too have been well," Dizang replied.

Dizang tilted his head slightly, observing Tian Di seated on the golden throne. His demeanor suggested he was not looking up at the man before him, but rather meeting him as an equal. There were perhaps only a handful of people in the world whom Dizang would look up to, and Tian Di did not qualify—at least, that was Dizang’s belief.

Tian Di smiled, unconcerned by Dizang’s imposing air. Though they hadn't clashed head-on, they knew each other's strengths well enough; in a real battle, either could potentially be defeated and die.

"I wonder, Brother Dizang, what brings you here this time?" Tian Di calmly descended the high steps, standing before Dizang, meeting the gaze of his opponent—a man clearly of Western origin yet bearing a title derived from Eastern mythology.

Dizang slowly raised his right palm, pale and smooth as jade. In an instant, the surface became covered in a deep cyan-black, boiled Xuan Poison. A self-assured smirk curved his lips. "I wonder, Brother Tian Di, if you are interested in sparring a bit? My Hades Palm has been lonely for a very, very long time. I am eager to witness Tian Di's Nine Heavens Vast Sun Palm."

Tian Di showed little surprise. Whether concerning Xue Tian’s matter, Qin Fen’s affairs, or the rise of the young martial artists at the Saturn Military Base, all major factions were aware. At a time like this, even if Dizang hadn't sought him out, Tian Di would have gone to Dizang in a few days to have a talk.

Though mortal enemies, both shared a common goal: upholding the glory and status of the established powerhouses! At this upcoming Heroes' Gathering, the only ones capable of truly obstructing Qin Fen, Xue Tian, Shangguan Chuanqi, and the Young Hades Harpos were these two.

Rulai, though powerful, and Qin Guang Wang, though formidable, still seemed slightly insufficient to stop Qin Fen, Xue Tian, and the others who dared to challenge the Divine Beast Martial Artists by storming their territory.

"Qin Guang Wang,"

From a corner of the great hall, Rulai slowly emerged. His massive frame exuded an indescribable pressure without needing much movement. He seemed even stronger than during their last encounter at the concert.

"I heard that Qin Guang Wang’s Life and Death Palm is also supreme. I wonder how it compares to my Tathagata’s Divine Palm?"

Qin Guang Wang lightly waved his sleeve, and chilling, gloomy winds swept through the room! Although the Divine Beast Martial Artists had declared a halt to lethal combat, sparring sessions were not forbidden. Gaining the upper hand in these exchanges would provide a psychological and momentum advantage in the subsequent Heroes' Gathering.

Without a word exchanged, the spirits of the two men instantly locked onto each other.

At this moment, a wave of fierce, rigid power erupted, like a large squad of Mobile Armors engaging their full-power fusion cores, blasting through all missile countermeasures, charging violently into the room.

"Lu Dongbin?" Yang Jian raised an eyebrow slightly, looking surprised at Lü Dongbin, who had previously left Tianmen, reappearing in the hall. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you! And you too!" Lü Dongbin pointed at both Yang Jian and Houzi. "I want to test my Fierce Might Martial Way before the Heroes' Gathering!"

"You?" Yang Jian’s lip curled into a slight, disdainful smile, but his pupils had contracted to pinpricks. After not seeing him for days, he could sense that Lü Dongbin’s strength had advanced dramatically!

Back then, although Lü Dongbin was acclaimed as the strongest of the Eight Immortals from the Upper Heaven Gate and the master of the world’s most formidable pure martial path, he was inferior to many others in every aspect—not to mention Yang Jian and Houzi.

But today! Yang Jian discovered that Lü Dongbin’s unexpected appearance meant he was far, far stronger—so much so that Yang Jian could not afford to underestimate him! This man's strength had inexplicably surged repeatedly? This defied convention; his power shouldn't increase so rapidly in succession.

Lü Dongbin looked confidently at Yang Jian and the Monkey standing in the distance, wielding an unfamiliar metal rod. The Life and Death Pill of Inzaro was the finest under heaven! Having not been killed by Qin Fen, but rather saved by Qin Fen's Life and Death Pill, Lü Dongbin, after witnessing Qin Fen's fierce, overwhelming, unmatched, vast and boundless fist techniques and martial arts, had truly broken through his former bottleneck, reborn from the ashes, his strength increasing nonstop.

A battle rarely seen in a century silently unfolded within the Tianmen Headquarters.

Almost simultaneously, in the military command center on Earth, Du Yu looked questioningly at the slightly aged figure of Snake King Du Hen, whose temples were already streaked with white. "Father, you are going to participate in the Heroes' Gathering too?"

"Yes," Du Hen stood with his back to Du Yu, gazing out at the endless, setting sun in the sky. "The Heroes' Gathering—I wasn't interested before, but this time, I must participate."

"Why?" Du Yu couldn't understand. "You taught me that when there is no chance of victory, one must rely on external forces to win, or simply endure! But this time, you have absolutely no chance of winning! Even if you are the Snake King! Hailed as the strongest in the Military Command!"

"Yes, I have no chance of winning. But I must go." Du Hen slowly turned his head, the afterglow of the setting sun illuminating his cold face. "I am the calculating Snake King, but I am also a soldier! Qin Fen, Xue Tian—they wear military uniforms, but the blood of true soldiers does not flow within them! How can the military be unrepresented at the Heroes' Gathering! Since the Lion is dead, I will go this time!"

"Nonsense!" Du Yu stepped forward, taking a stance opposite his father for the first time—his father, who had always suppressed him, under whom he could never stand tall. He glared fiercely at Du Hen, yielding nothing. "What you are doing is meaningless!"

Du Hen gazed at his son, who had been held down by him for years, yet had clearly come into his own. A touch of kind satisfaction warmed his usually stern face. "You have matured. You finally dare to meet my gaze. That makes me happy, and it puts my mind at ease. Even if something unexpected happens to me at the Heroes' Gathering, the Military Command won't descend into chaos."

"Father!"

"Son, don't you yet understand why I must do this?" Du Hen looked intently at Du Yu. "I am making a wager with Zhan Peng. Hasn't that brat always protected Du Peng at every turn? He even crippled his own cultivation twice for him—I cannot comprehend it. I truly cannot understand. My most outstanding grandson, a young man with the potential to ascend to Divine Beast status, why would he gamble everything for such a worthless thing? Brother? Does he truly cherish that title so much? This time, I will go to the Heroes' Gathering and have a showdown with Zhan Peng. I will personally kill Du Peng! I believe that even if Du Peng crippled his cultivation twice, he can stand up again! This time, I will give Du Peng no other chance! I will end this bastard myself!"

"But Father—"

"Are you afraid I will lose?" Du Hen placed his hands behind his back, his gaze chillingly sharp, focused on Du Yu. "If my grandson Du Zhan Peng has degenerated to such an extent that he can make his grandfather lose a wager to him, then that is his skill! Killing Du Peng will earn Zhan Peng my hatred, causing him to stand up for the third time, truly becoming a Divine Beast Martial Artist! That is the final mission of my life! Since Zhan Peng is alive, I must pull him back from the wrong path."

"Father, you should know how sensational Lin Liqiang's so-called New Human thesis is in the Federation today. You should also know how many top scientists in pharmacology, biology, and various other fields are flocking to Saturn, joining Qin Fen’s so-called Dragon Hall, because of the advent of New Humans, new metals, and new energy technologies. And Du Peng is the first New Human, hailed as the strongest Dragon-type New Human in this era..."

"New Humans?" Du Hen smiled lightly. "Yes, they are truly strong. But for the sake of my old rivals and friends, I, Du Hen, am willing to risk anything. Don't forget, I am the Snake King Du Hen, who sacrifices anything to achieve his goals! Besides New Humans, there are also Bug Martial Artists—"

"Father, be careful—"

"I have met Zhang Hao. Although I cannot become a monster like the Young Hades Harpos, this should be enough." For an instant, two sharp swords flashed in Du Hen’s eyes. Two cyan-black tendons coiled terrifyingly on the slightly wrinkled skin of his neck. "This grand assembly cannot lack the presence of soldiers! I don't care about Pandora's Box; I want the glory of the soldier!"

Du Yu silently stepped aside. His father was betting his very life this time; he was wagering everything! Du Yu believed that many martial artists in the world were also betting everything.

"Come! Come! Come! Come! Come!"

In the underground base of the Earth Founding Council, Young Hades Harpos roared almost madly toward the sky, veins bulging grotesquely over his body. He looked joyfully at the tubes inserted into him, filled with flowing, dark-brown fluid. "Come on everyone! Come on! Qin Fen! Qing Long! And all you Star Constellation Generals who betrayed my father, come! I will kill you all and restore the glory of my father, the White Tiger! Song Jia, for you! I am willing to pay everything! I must win, I must prove to you that I am the strongest man, the one most worthy of you. Not Qin Fen!"

On Mars, within a massive Vermilion Bird Palace, Vermilion Bird—a woman with fiery red hair, resembling a young madam in her mid-twenties—sat calmly atop a massive Vermilion Bird claw. Her fiery red qipao added a touch of sultry allure. She quietly observed the young man standing on the platform, his back perfectly straight, facing her.

Shangguan Chuanqi! He did not inherit his mother’s red hair but his father’s black hair. His side-parted hair gave him an indescribably crisp appearance, and his fiery red eyebrows were slender and beautiful.

"You have returned."

"Yes, Mother," Shangguan Chuanqi’s voice echoed beautifully in the hall. "Just moments ago, I defeated the four Star Constellation Generals under you: Wei Huo Hu, Yi Huo She, Zui Huo Hou, and Shi Huo Zhu. I wish to challenge you and see how strong I have truly become. This is the first time I truly do not know the extent of my own power."

The Divine Beast Martial Artist Vermilion Bird, Shangguan Shengyu, narrowed her beautiful eyes, scrutinizing her son carefully. For a moment, she hesitated to fully recognize him.

Even with the most superior genes, this speed of martial arts progression was too fast! How old was Shangguan Chuanqi? To have already defeated the four major Star Constellation Generals of Mars? This was much sooner than she had predicted or speculated! She truly wondered what miraculous experiences this son of hers had encountered in his life, otherwise, he couldn't possess this level of strength today.

"You want to challenge me?" Shangguan Shengyu slightly lifted a leg, revealing her long, straight, supple, and elastic legs from beneath the qipao. She slowly descended from the high platform. "Not knowing how strong you are is a form of confidence. I had that experience too in my day. I admire your current state, my son. I hope this spar with you will be beneficial, because at the Gathering—"

"Mother," Shangguan Chuanqi smiled confidently, tilting his head slightly. "My opponents are only the current Divine Beast Martial Artists, and the Bee King and Emperor from Pandora's Space. At the Heroes' Gathering, Shangguan Chuanqi will have no equal! Be it the monster Qin Fen, the enraged Xue Tian, or even Young Hades Harpos, who has already tasted defeat once—none of them will be my match! My goal has always been the Divine Beasts. This goal has never changed since I could understand the world."

Shangguan Shengyu admired her son. This confidence was indispensable for becoming a Divine Beast Martial Artist. Perhaps others saw it as excessive arrogance, but which contemporary Divine Beast lacked a core of wild ambition? Even Qin Fen and Xue Tian, who dared to kick at Qilin's mountain gate and smash Qing Long's halls—were they not arrogant?

"I truly envy you, my son. You were born in the most brilliant era," Shangguan Shengyu smiled slowly. "An era like this only appears once in how many years? Shall we begin then? For the half-year agreement regarding the Heroes' Gathering, I will show no mercy."

"Come, Mother!" Shangguan Chuanqi’s sword-like brows lifted. "For the Heroes' Gathering, I have already gambled everything."

A record-breaking one minute resulted in nine sneezes, over twenty sneezes in an hour, one box of tissues, more than thirty pills, two bags of IV fluid, three bowls of thin porridge, one meat sandwich, one cucumber and egg soup, and one steamed bun, along with one-third of a barrel of water—that was everything I’ve consumed so far today.

My nose and eyes have not stopped running, but my mind has recovered its ability to think clearly. That's a good thing. There's still a chapter coming tonight, yes.