A flurry of hurried footsteps echoed across the courtyard, numbering perhaps two or three dozen, many of whom clearly held weapons that struck the ground with heavy, clanging impacts as they were set down.

Qin Fen weakly shook his head and let out a soft chuckle. It seemed the competition in Hell City was far fiercer than he had anticipated; merely requesting an audience with the two Manor Lords had drawn such a formidable response.

At that moment, a voice, proud and young, slowly drifted out. "Yuan Fei, open the gate! Thunder Manor can be defeated, but we absolutely cannot lose our nerve."

A flicker of admiration crossed Qin Fen's eyes. Judging by the voice, the speaker was young, yet his words carried a definite presence.

The great doors slowly pulled apart, and Qin Fen saw two young men standing in the central courtyard, his eyes brightening once more. His comrades alongside him, Zhang Xiangyang and the others, let out a hushed gasp of surprise: "Huh?"

The appearance of these two individuals perfectly matched their names—Water and Fire—representing polar extremes. One was tall and thin, seeming as if a strong gust of wind might topple him; the other was short and stout, clearly someone who could rely on sheer mass to overwhelm opponents in a fight.

"You two must be the Manor Lords here?" Qin Fen looked directly at Shui Huo Pi Li, ignoring the fierce-looking manor guards flanking them, and strode into the manor. He cupped his hands again: "Dragon Hall, Thirty-Six Hours."

"Dragon Hall?"

Shui Huo Pi Li’s eyes were filled with confusion. What sect was that? They had never even heard of it.

"Thirty-Six Hours?"

The two bewildered young men gradually had a look of sudden comprehension dawn in their eyes, speaking in unison: "You're that money-grubber?"

Money-grubber? Qin Fen paused, then remembered his persistent pursuit of wealth had earned him a certain notoriety within the current Sky Combat Network.

Especially below the Four-Star rank, the ID "Thirty-Six Hours" was more famous than many experts on the Hundred Battles Leaderboard.

Before Qin Fen could reply, even the two Thunder Manor Lords became instantly tense and vigilant: "What are you here for?"

Qin Fen was stunned again. How had these two youths, who just moments ago radiated such dominance, suddenly become so cautious?

At this point, Qin Fen also picked up on the murmurs from the other members of Thunder Manor surrounding him.

"Is that really Thirty-Six Hours?"

"Hiding his face and head like that, he really doesn't look like a good person."

"Don't speak carelessly. He's the Money Leech. Be careful he doesn't take an interest in you."

"Exactly, exactly! Word is he goes missing, and every time he reappears, he goes on a massive wealth-gathering spree. He was gone for a while just a few days ago."

Qin Fen could only laugh wryly. He hadn't been visible online for a few days, and in the whispers of the populace, he had transformed into a monstrous fiend.

"Honored Manor Lords, I have come to visit today seeking a simple plaque from you both."

"Challenging the school?" The two Manor Lords' eyebrows shot up simultaneously: "I never thought your pursuit of money would extend to the Main Combat Net!"

"I believe you two have misunderstood." Qin Fen took half a step back, indicating he had no intention of challenging their position. "I am not here to challenge. Three days ago, the Dragon Hall I established was vandalized by the Unbeatable Gate, their signboard smashed. I only learned of this today, and when I went to the Unbeatable Gate, I found their sign was gone too. After inquiring, I learned the signboard ended up here at Thunder Manor."

"Oh."

Huo Lei Ting and Shui Lei Ting’s expressions changed instantly, their defensiveness shifting to smugness. The Money Leech was here to request the return of his signboard. This was magnificent! A chance for immediate fame had dropped from the heavens!

Thirty-Six Hours was now somewhat renowned in the circle. If they could gain some advantage over this Money Leech, Thunder Manor would instantly shoot to fame. Plenty of people who harbored grudges against Thirty-Six Hours would surely flock to join them.

In this way, the organization’s membership would expand rapidly. Once their numbers reached a certain level, they would no longer need to fear challenges like this! An organization of five thousand members—unless a top-tier master showed up to challenge them, who could possibly defeat all five thousand? Even a Meteor-level master would be exhausted to death!

Qin Fen watched the changing expressions of the two men, rapidly analyzing their psychology based on the teachings of Squad Leader Hao. The moment he discerned their intentions, the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill began to slowly condense within him.

"Thirty-Six Hours, if we give you the plaque, how can Thunder Manor hold its ground on this street afterward?"

"Exactly! The Unbeatable Gate tore down your Dragon Hall, and we avenged you. That's a favor to you. Yet you come here today without even bringing a gift? Take that signboard as payment then."

"Brother Shui, how can you say that? If Mr. Thirty-Six Hours is willing to offer five thousand to redeem the plaque, I might consider it."

"Five thousand? A bit low, isn't it? Shouldn't we also charge a storage fee?"

Listening to the provocative taunts of the Shui Huo Lei Ting Manor Lords, Qin Fen smiled and shook his head continually. He had come seeking to retrieve his signboard with courtesy, only to be treated like a soft persimmon to be squeezed. Since they clearly wanted a fight, let them fight! He was eager to witness the legendary Divine Possession Arrival technique.

"If you two refuse to return it, then I have no choice but to challenge the school." Qin Fen assumed a stance. "Rumor has it that Divine Possession Arrival utilizes a new martial art based on mental hypnosis. I am fortunate to witness it today."

The Shui Huo Manor Lords simultaneously smiled, then lowered their heads, clasped their hands together, and stamped their feet repeatedly. The surgically implanted hypnotic system within their bodies began to work rapidly. Images of Sun Wukong from Journey to the West appeared in the mind of the tall, thin Shui Lei Ting, while images of the Third Prince Nezha from Journey to the West flashed through the mind of the short, stout Huo Lei Ting.

In an instant, their auras transformed!

Shui Lei Ting’s eyes, which were already triangular, darted around ceaselessly, his hands clawing at his ears and scratching his head as he leaped and bounded like a mad monkey.

The stout man's eyes shone with fierce light, his expression childishly innocent—a stark contrast to his previous maturity. A single step he took covered five meters with incredible stability, as if he were truly stepping upon the legendary flying Wind Fire Wheels.

Zhang Xiangyang and the others were instantly shocked. The leaders of Thunder Manor were shameless—two against one!

"Good!"

Qin Fen’s nerves instantly surged to an unprecedented level of excitement. He had never truly faced a Two-on-One battle in the Four-Star arena. Just how powerful could this new martial art, developed through hypnosis, truly be?

"Good!" The sound accompanying the activation of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill was almost comparable to the blast radius of a small hand grenade.

The sonic wave clashed against the True Qi of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill. Qin Fen felt an indescribable comfort throughout his body. He stomped his right leg down and moved to intercept Huo Lei Ting, who was lunging toward him with a Nezha Fist.

With that single step, even the surrounding members of Thunder Manor froze in place. The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly the moment Qin Fen met Huo Lei Ting!

Huo Lei Ting, caught in the hypnotic state, showed none of the astonishment of the other guards. The joints of his fingertips cracked audibly, and his entire hand swelled to twice its size, resembling the claw of a demonic fiend, striking for Qin Fen’s throat and wrist joint in a move akin to a "Tiger Emerging from the Cave."

This claw attack was like five daggers, slicing through the air with a hissing sound. The sleeves that had snapped up on Qin Fen’s arms slapped against the downward-pressing airflow with sharp cracks, as if threatening to sever his limbs right there in mid-air.

This claw attack, post-hypnosis, possessed terrifying sharpness and power!

Facing this vicious style, a smile of excitement touched the corner of Qin Fen’s mouth. He leaned his body slightly, raised his arm sharply, and met the attack with a straight, iron punch that slammed directly into Huo Lei Ting's palm.

Bang!

The resulting airflow from the collision of fist and palm was almost visible. Both their sleeves tore several times under the destructive friction of force and air.

Huo Lei Ting’s attack, the "Nezha Draws the Dragon Sinew," was struck by Qin Fen’s "Tiger Emerging from the Cave," causing his body to shudder and drift backward. Meanwhile, Shui Lei Ting was already upon Qin Fen, attacking with manic abandon. His palms blurred into heavy shadows, his hidden kicks flew out, and his entire body acted as a shield, slamming into Qin Fen.

The "Great Sage's Fist"—Havoc in Heaven!

The essence of the Monkey King's rampage was pure, frenzied aggression, and Shui Lei Ting manifested this completely, behaving like a wild monkey running amok.

Seeing his opponent closing in, Qin Fen inhaled deeply. Prompted by the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, veins stood out like black-green cords on his arm, turning it into a veritable iron rod pulled from a coal pile.

With a side step and a single whip strike, he lashed out towards Huo Lei Ting’s body, enveloping him.

This "Side-Step Single Whip" showcased Qin Fen’s absolute mastery over force control developed over this period. Nearly all his power was tightly coiled and condensed. Even the Butcher would have praised this technique heartily; the scattered stones kicked up by his single footfall were one-fifth less than before!

His arm was like the mythical Pillar of Buzhou that collapsed! Even if Sun Wukong could wield the 13,500 catties Ruyi Jingu Bang, he still could not lift the Pillar of Buzhou!

Boom!

The frenzied monkey shuddered violently, instantly transforming into a startled ape. With a screech, utilizing the recoil force from the single whip strike, he was sent flying sideways! His entire arm twitched and trembled uncontrollably.

Qin Fen would not let such an opportunity pass. His "Arhat Steps on Clouds" quickly followed, and his left arm executed another "Side-Step Single Whip."

Shui Lei Ting had completely become a frightened monkey, his body bobbing up and down, leaping and shifting like the most agile ape in the mountains.

Qin Fen’s second whip strike missed. He was about to unleash the doubled output of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, which he had held in reserve, for a decisive strike, but he noticed the opponent’s movement style was peculiar. The technique described by the 'Sly King' suddenly flashed through his mind. He momentarily slowed his aggressive attack but did not yield any pressure.

Huo Lei Ting, having braced himself for the first exchange, finally recovered feeling in his shoulder and let out another shout as he lunged forward. At almost the same moment, Shui Lei Ting ceased evading and chose to counterattack.

With his reserves boosted, Qin Fen no longer held back the full power of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill. He stomped both feet heavily, completely abandoning fine control over his force, unleashing everything he had.

The entanglement between the three broke apart instantly. Huo Lei Ting flew back ten meters and slammed heavily against the wall.