With scarcely a moment's thought, Qin Fen selected Magnetic Flight Sword alongside the new martial art, Pressure Origin Art, then, without hesitation, tossed the Magnetic Flight Sword into the system's auction program. This was a fantastic item; he figured it should fetch a decent price.

Exiting the system and removing the helmet, Qin Fen was immediately swamped by fatigue that permeated his entire body. He hadn't noticed it while immersed in the joy of battle and receiving rewards, but the moment he logged out, the exhaustion hit him hard.

He let out a long breath, gently rotating his neck, recalling the high-intensity battle in the War God Arena just moments before. Compared to that, military training seemed remarkably easy.

——

Having disconnected from the network, Qin Fen gently stretched his body to alleviate the lingering fatigue. Out of habit, he powered up the desktop computer provided by the military and entered the Three-Star forum section as a guest.

It was then he noticed that for some unknown reason, the usual top-tier experts who consistently ranked in the top three of the Three-Star Arena hadn't participated in the fighting this time.

Many people were discussing this in the forums, suggesting that the current War God winner had merely been lucky. Soon, nearly a hundred similar posts sprang up.

As these threads appeared, Leopard Head, who was quite famous in the Three-Star section, suddenly posted, tearing apart those who were mocking the winner. He concluded by presenting a short clip, a screenshot recording of Qin Fen's combat.

That decisive method of killing, coupled with his utterly inexplicable stealth technique that made him simply vanish, silenced the scoffers completely.

Many people began to accept the prowess of "Thirty-Six Hours." Most comments admitted that while he might not be the strongest in the Three-Star division, few could match his efficiency and technique when it came to dispatching opponents.

Many agreed with this assessment. Some even argued that "Thirty-Six Hours" didn't understand the true essence of Wu (Martial Art) at all; perhaps he was just a killer in reality, and what he practiced was merely the technique of murder, nothing more.

Of course, many others refused to acknowledge Qin Fen's skill, insisting that he must first fight the previous three War Gods before qualifying for true recognition.

What had started as a simple debate suddenly saw the top three experts—those who had claimed the War God title most often—post within the thread.

After watching Qin Fen's recording, they all left messages expressing their desire to spar with "Thirty-Six Hours." Whether the spar would be public or private, "Thirty-Six Hours" could choose freely.

Qin Fen hadn't planned on countering the doubters, but the messages from the three former War Gods sparked his interest in replying.

Logging into his ID, he posted his reply: "A spar sounds acceptable, but there is one condition: you must pay me a consultation fee for the sparring session. Otherwise, I won't fight."

He logged out and returned to viewing the forum as a guest.

The moment he logged out, Qin Fen's message had already garnered dozens of replies, almost uniformly consisting of curses calling "Thirty-Six Hours" a disgrace to martial ethics.

Following these outbursts, someone quickly posted an update in the auction channel for Three-Star power items, revealing a valuable new item listed, specifically marked as a reward from the War God victor.

Auctioning off the prize! More people began denouncing "Thirty-Six Hours," accusing him of being obsessed with money, only caring for cash.

Watching the posts condemning him, Qin Fen felt no anger. Only those who have truly suffered, those who had to scramble daily just for tomorrow's food, would dismiss money as something insignificant with such high-mindedness.

"You don't know the cost of rice and firewood until you run the household." Qin Fen smiled and looked at other threads. The War God Arena had captured many spectacular combat scenes this time, featuring martial arts he had never encountered. He wanted to broaden his horizons.

"Old Qin!" Deng Biao, sitting next to him on his bunk, slapped his shoulder heavily and whispered into his ear, "Honestly, brother, I truly admire you! You are too tough! You actually made that stunning girl wait outside the door for so long without even glancing at her..."

"What? Oh!" Qin Fen turned, raised a hand to scratch his temple, and said apologetically, "I completely forgot her. Thanks for the reminder."

Closing his own computer, Qin Fen swung his legs off the bed and walked toward the door, leaving Deng Biao sitting on the bunk, shaking his head in stunned disbelief. "What kind of person is this? He actually forgot a beauty for an online martial arts network."

The person in the other bunk nodded in agreement. "That woman is a beauty even without the uniform, but in that military attire, she’s an absolute temptress! If that woman were with me..."

"Shhh..." Deng Biao quickly made a shushing gesture and whispered, "Old Qin might seem gentle, but when it comes to certain fundamental matters, his temper isn't so good. Be careful he doesn't dismantle you..."

The occupants of the same room naturally knew Qin Fen better than other platoons. If someone were to ask who the two toughest fighters in the room were, no one would dare offer a definitive answer, but if asked which two were the toughest?

Everyone would say: Qin Fen! Du Peng!

Under the moonlight, Lin Jia’an stood gazing into the distance, arms crossed over her chest. A gentle breeze lifted her hair, causing it to drift softly. Without her usual fierceness, she possessed a different kind of allure in that moment.

When Qin Fen stepped out of the room and saw this scene, Lin Jia’an's figure suddenly seemed to blur. In the moonlight, it felt as if the person standing there wasn't Lin Jia'an, but Song Jia, whom he hadn't seen in days.

Seeing Qin Fen emerge, Lin Jia’an naturally let her arms drop and walked quickly toward him. The shadow of Song Jia vanished from her form.

It was Lin Jia’an, not Song Jia. Qin Fen snapped back to reality, took a deep breath, and secretly suspected he must genuinely be exhausted, otherwise he wouldn't be having hallucinations.

After all, true martial artists possess an unshakable mind! If the mind isn't firm, how can the fist be firm?

"I apologize for making you wait." Qin Fen was the first to break the silence between them. "May I ask what brings you here?"

After two hours of "long" waiting, Lin Jia’an had lost her earlier reserve. She couldn't believe anyone would actually make her stand outside a door alone for two hours.

"There seems to be a problem with my cultivation of the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra."

"Oh," Qin Fen replied with a simple nod. The Jade Maiden Heart Sutra was considered an advanced martial art, one unaffordable for ordinary families. If there was a problem, she should seek out the Sacred Martial Hall that published the scripture, or the master who taught her the technique.

Seeing Qin Fen merely nod and act as if it were none of his concern, a hint of frustration touched Lin Jia’an’s brow. "The problem started the night after I met you. I wanted to ask—do you know the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra?"

Sensing Lin Jia’an's irritation, Qin Fen almost turned to leave. He had, after all, saved her life once. But then he considered that she had waited for two hours, and recalled her helpless demeanor earlier; his displeasure lessened considerably.