The calm tone didn't come from the group of new recruits in the Third Company, but from behind the new recruits of Hanzhou.

As the voice sounded, the Hanzhou new recruits automatically parted a path, eager to see who had spoken.

Who was this person? The Hanzhou new recruits were collectively bewildered. Qin Fen had only participated in one of the previous two brawls, and Du Peng had been the most outstanding performer, so the Hanzhou recruits knew Du Peng, but not Qin Fen.

Piao Zhonghuan scrutinized Qin Fen intently. A martial artist's intuition told him that this newly arrived recruit was stronger than any of the previous recruits from the Third Company. Beneath that silent, placid expression lay a reservoir of barely contained fury and immense power, ready to erupt.

A worthy opponent! The hairs on Piao Zhonghuan's body stood on end. Geniuses are not arrogant fools; geniuses know which opponents demand respect and which challenges are beneath notice.

Qin Fen issued his challenge and then walked wordlessly toward the Third Company. The members of the Third Company, moments before brimming with righteous anger, were first stunned, and then erupted in a deafening roar, their momentum unrivaled!

Qin Fen! Qin Fen was back! Someone whose strength was absolutely no less than Du Peng's had returned!

Within the Third Company, Qin Fen was undoubtedly low-key. But none of the new recruits in the Third Company would ever overlook him, the one who always acted with quiet restraint.

Qin Fen walked directly to Deng Biao’s side and squatted down, examining the injuries of his squad mate. All four limbs were broken, and the blows had been viciously heavy. Besides the limbs, seven ribs were also fractured, and they were broken one by one, not all seven at once from a single impact.

"Severe. Excessive." After inspecting the injuries, Qin Fen's brow twitched several times, his eyes flashing with the silent query of "Was this necessary?"

"Heh... Old Qin, could you have been any later?" Deng Biao's voice lacked its usual booming resonance. "He hit the top fighter of our Second Squad. This debt is naturally one our Second Squad must settle ourselves. With you and Da Peng here, it wasn't my turn to speak up. But since you weren't here, I had no choice but to step forward."

Qin Fen nodded, rising as he spoke. "Rest."

"Alright." Deng Biao slowly closed his eyes. The only reason he had managed to hold on this long without passing out from the pain was the belief that a miracle would occur. When Qin Fen appeared, he believed the miracle would certainly be completed now. "Remember. Hit him a few extra times for me."

Piao Zhonghuan remained standing, awaiting Qin Fen’s opening words. Having defeated so many new recruits in one go, his aura had already soared. Any challenging words from Qin Fen would only amplify that aura, making it easier for Piao Zhonghuan to gain the upper hand in the fight.

Qin Fen didn't spare a glance for the glowering Hanzhou new recruits, fixing his gaze solely on Piao Zhonghuan.

No sign of anger, no tone of vengeance, Qin Fen spoke with utter serenity. "I charge for my fights. Congratulations, you are the first person who will not need to pay me a fee."

Piao Zhonghuan was taken aback. He had never expected the newcomer to offer no direct challenge, but instead utter strange words that sounded like a master bestowing charity upon an inferior.

The momentum! In that instant, the balance shifted.

With just those simple two sentences, Piao Zhonghuan felt his opponent elevate his own presence.

"You challenge me?"

Piao Zhonghuan spoke slowly, his demeanor relaxed. His words carried the weight of an unassailable, towering mountain.

Contesting the spirit! This was a tactic Piao Zhonghuan had learned from the Hanzhou Martial God, Pei Chengjun: first, use words and actions to crush the opponent's morale, fighting intent, and spirit before unleashing a devastating offensive to crush them. Piao Zhonghuan’s initial heavy-handed assault on several Third Company recruits was meant precisely to establish this momentum. He had expected to face Du Peng next, but instead, an unknown young master had appeared.

Qin Fen remained silent, taking a step forward. His Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill combined with the fierce charge of the Shaolin Arhat Fist. The wind whipped up by his sleeves sounded like a tiger’s roar—Hula la!—as he lunged forward.

Qin Fen had allowed a flicker of anger to surface before the fight, making his opening strike three parts fiercer than usual. His colossal aura instantly shattered the momentum Piao Zhonghuan had built up.

Piao Zhonghuan hadn't expected Qin Fen to attack without even a preliminary exchange of words, the offensive launched almost like a sneak attack. He cursed inwardly at the shamelessness of seizing such an early advantage in initiative and spirit.

Fortunately, he was also a young master dubbed a genius. He had far more practical combat experience under Pei Chengjun over the years than Qin Fen. Confident in his seasoned skill, he hesitated not at all, channeling power into his ankles. His body moved like a crane playing in the water, soaring back several meters into the crowd of Hanzhou new recruits, using their numbers to neutralize Qin Fen’s ferocious initial assault.

Qin Fen had not anticipated that someone as outwardly proud as Piao Zhonghuan would resort to such tactics. The momentary advantage seized by the Butcher's unannounced opening strike was instantly neutralized by Piao Zhonghuan’s maneuver.

Just as Qin Fen’s charge went wide and he prepared to plunge into the crowd in pursuit, the earth suddenly trembled! Piao Zhonghuan suddenly sprang out, his heavy leg swinging with a whistling sound, like an iron hammer smashing toward Qin Fen.

Technique: Iron Hammer from Earth Taekwondo! Modified by the Korean Martial God Pei Chengjun, this was an attack technique with extreme explosive power—the New Iron Hammer!

What was originally a hand technique, Piao Zhonghuan, the genius, had converted into a devastating leg attack, making it a hundred times sharper.

Qin Fen felt the sharp wind lash his face, his eyes narrowing to thin slits, sharp light shooting from within. His leading foot suddenly rotated at the ankle, causing his waist to bend, his shoulder to shift momentarily, and his body to contract slightly—the classic Dragon Concealing Body reappeared after a long absence!

Piao Zhonghuan was also astonished. How could the Shaolin Arhat Fist, which was essentially calisthenics-based boxing, be wielded by this man with such outrageous power, making it nearly comparable to the New Taekwondo famous throughout the entire Federation?

At the same time, a strange, indescribable feeling washed over his heart.

Having regained the advantage with the Hammer technique, Piao Zhonghuan couldn't afford to dwell on why the calisthenics boxing was so ferocious. He pressed his attack immediately, aiming to solidify his lead and give Qin Fen no opportunity to regain the initiative.

His movements were lightning-fast, his body like a crane, launching relentless attacks. A surge of Zhenqi churned continuously within his body.

Flicking Fist, Straight Fist, Penetrating Fist, Striking Elbow, Knife Hand!

His arms flew up and down like dragons, his moves continuous and unbroken. His legs remained poised with hidden killing intent, always ready to unleash a killing blow.

Not far away, Phoenix sat silently on the branch of a large tree, watching the perilous fight with a somber expression.

Squad Leader Hao also sat in a concealed corner, his face equally grave. Piao Zhonghuan's innate talent surprised him. Though this young man couldn't match the astonishing genius of Qin Zhan, Squad Leader Hao admitted he wouldn't have been his match in their own generation.

Another Dragon Concealing Body forced Piao Zhonghuan to feel as if he were going mad. He clearly held the upper hand, yet he couldn't convert that advantage into victory. Surely the power of that calisthenics boxing had its limits? Why did he faintly sense he had the advantage, yet the overall situation was being controlled by the opponent?

Piao Zhonghuan had encountered similar scenarios before, but only when facing the Hanzhou Martial God, Pei Chengjun—where he dominated the action but the flow of the fight remained under the opponent’s control.

How could this feeling arise in a four-star versus four-star battle? It must be a delusion!

In that instant of distraction, Qin Fen suddenly executed the Advancing Seven Stars, bursting into Piao Zhonghuan's personal space. The plain, unadorned Fierce Tiger Charge carried a punch whose air displacement was almost visible, striking directly at the chest!

Piao Zhonghuan was called a genius for a reason; his skin's sensitivity to airflow and his martial sense were acutely sharp. In a flash of startled realization, his eyes shone with an excited joy.

Earth Taekwondo! Iron Hammer!

This time, the Iron Hammer was not a leg technique, but the genuine fist strike!

Piao Zhonghuan had been struggling to break through Qin Fen's Dragon Concealing Body defense—it was a huge headache. He had been waiting for a chance to clash head-on. The New Taekwondo required a compatible inner cultivation method. He had not chosen the unique inner method created by Pei Chengjun for New Taekwondo, unlike several senior disciples, but instead opted for the ancient martial art Iron Cloth Shirt to serve as his complementary method!

Head-on collision! Iron Hammer plus Iron Cloth Shirt—the most perfect combination! This held the power to sweep aside everything!

This was a secret of Piao Zhonghuan’s, known to very few!

As joy flickered in Piao Zhonghuan’s eyes, he noticed the same joy and excitement shining in Qin Fen's eyes!

What was this...?

There was no time for him to speculate why. An opportunity for a head-on collision might not present itself again so soon; he had to seize the moment!

As their fists were about to meet, a tiger’s roar echoed from Qin Fen's throat. His fist suddenly transformed into a sharp palm. A massive surge of power erupted from within his body. Piao Zhonghuan’s vision blurred; the Qin Fen he saw no longer looked human, but like a wave—a giant wave in a boundless ocean!

The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill formed a spinning turbine, unleashing unprecedented power. The speed of the palm strike increased dramatically, sweeping across the surface of the Iron Hammer punch and slamming into the wrist joint.

Crack!

The Iron Cloth Shirt! Before reaching the Meteor-rank, it could make bones incredibly hard, but it couldn't perfectly protect the joints! Especially after the Raging Torrent was enhanced with turbine-like acceleration, few in the same rank could resist its might.

The instant the wrist snapped, Piao Zhonghuan decisively chose to retreat, his feet channeling force like a soaring crane.

Qin Fen had anticipated this move. His Arhat Step Cloud technique also burst forth under the turbine acceleration, achieving a speed several points faster than Piao Zhonghuan’s retreat. The ferocious Raging Torrent from the palm strike was unleashed without reservation.

A flurry of palm shadows filled the air. Piao Zhonghuan raised his arms to block, managing to parry less than half the attack. The rest of the torrent slammed into his body.

If the previous Raging Torrent was like the tide surging in the sea, then the torrent now, after being boosted by the turbine, was a tidal wave! A towering tsunami!

One palm, two palms, three palms! Shattering the protective Iron Cloth Shirt aura. Four palms, five palms, six palms, seven, eight, nine, ten...

The iron palms crashed onto Piao Zhonghuan’s body like a relentless tide, sending him flying back over ten meters.

Having unleashed his ultimate move, Qin Fen did not pursue. He felt a strange confusion. The Raging Torrent amplified by the turbine was powerful enough to smash bricks into fine fragments, yet after dozens of strikes to the body, he heard no sound of bones breaking—only the snapping of bones in his two arms.