Chapter 146

Qin Shi held the black-sheathed, red-hilted Electric Shock Military Knife, a reward jointly produced by the Four Great Divine Spirit Pillars.

Eliminating someone of Fang Xin's level would at most draw a single gaze of attention, but actually refining away a high-level attendant like the Snake Mother was worthy of encouragement and praise.

Thus, he personally witnessed the symbolic emblems of the four big shots light up together.

【Taiyi】 granted it stable material properties, 【Tianren】 injected sharpness and severance, 【Divine Machine】 generated the origin of metal smelting, and 【True Dragon】 applied spirit soul and vitality.

Only thus was there this one 【perfect-grade Electric Shock Military Knife】.

"I'm winning big."

Qin Shi grinned widely, very pleased.

If not for having fought the Snake Mother for hundreds of rounds and being utterly exhausted, with no strength left, he would surely have sat up to properly thank Zhang Daye.

"Xiao Qin, we owe you a lot this time."

Chen Ruofu, upon learning the exact situation inside the Forbidden Zone, was also greatly alarmed.

Fang Xin of the Snake Mother Gang had actually secretly developed through esoteric rituals, breaking through to the Saint Embryo Stage, nearly causing the Heng Jian Operation to capsize.

This was a layer no one had expected.

After all, Hengzhou was famously a Spiritual Ability Wasteland where the Martial Artist Path prevailed, and Spiritual Cultivators at the Saint Embryo Stage were few even in Center City.

You must know, there was a TV station broadcasting the whole thing live; if casualties were heavy, it would undoubtedly cause enormous damage to the Patrol Department's image.

"Mainly because Zhang Daye is mighty, it has nothing to do with me."

Qin Shi was very humble; although he and a Grandmaster-level fighter slaughtered wildly together, he only handled the slaughtering, while Zhang Daye was the main damage dealer.

"Senior Zhang doesn't care for false fame; moreover, if not for you going deep alone and uncovering the Snake Mother Gang's sinister plan to hold a feast, how would the Divine Spirit Pillars have taken notice?"

Chen Ruofu waved his hand; his thoughts turned quickly, and this was a perfect opportunity to claim credit, pushing Xiao Qin into the public eye to become a "Supernova" recognized by official endorsements from the Patrol Department and the Martial Association.

Under the Star Sea, within Dongxia, as long as one had fame and substance, even the powerful would be wary and dare not lightly anger public opinion.

"Xiao Qin, rest well; I will specially arrange a medical team for you."

Chen Ruofu immediately gave the nod; clearing a Netherworld Attendant like the Snake Mother counted as a great merit, surpassing the capture of a hundred top criminals on the Wanted Criminal List.

What's more, villains as wicked as Fang Xin have now been brought to justice.

All told, it equaled several years of achievements for the Patrol Department.

Awarding a "Banner of the Bane of Evil" pennant was more than enough.

"I wonder what expression the Elite Class Top Student will have upon seeing me in the video recording."

Qin Shi thought to himself; as for Old Chen preparing to use this opportunity to achieve great merit and lift himself into the Hengzhou Martial Association's Supernova ranks, he felt no inner turbulence.

Anyway, once the Three Limits open, the New Life Stage will transform once more.

His Qi Life Force will surely break through sixty points, even approaching seventy points.

This unbelievable upgrade speed fully meets the highest standard of the new generation's heaven's favorites.

"Uncle Chen, I'm about to break the Three Limits; can you give me a bottle of Mineral Essence?"

Before Qin Shi was carried into the ambulance, he coughed lightly twice.

According to Lao Liang, the Bone-Joint Great Limit consumes many resources.

It requires a constant supply of sufficient and rich nutrients to make the bone marrow's blood production function increasingly powerful.

"One bottle of Mineral Essence is too stingy; that's your reward! Secretary Huo, later you write up the order, I'll personally approve it—Xiao Qin will henceforth enjoy resource rations at the standard of a Senior Inspector of the Action Division!"

Chen Ruofu waved his hand grandly, making Qin Shi overjoyed; this trip to the Forbidden Zone was not in vain.

……

……

"Teacher, are you alright?"

Old Ren pushed the wheelchair and asked with concern.

The white-haired old man shook his head; a Netherworld Attendant of the Snake Mother's level was not considered formidable to him.

If not for being too aged, in his prime years, his own blood and qi could have evaporated and dispersed it, with no need to lift a hand.

"That kid's Ru Shen Ti is well cultivated. Once that attendant is refined away, he should be able to access the Universe Furnace Secret Canon. Faster than I expected by a few points."

The white-haired old man leaned on the wheelchair, satisfaction showing in his eyes.

He grew increasingly certain that Qin Shi would surely enter the Star Cup Youth Group as a dark horse.

A cultivation speed that even the teacher marveled at...

Old Ren couldn't help but envy him.

For someone of such ordinary, unremarkable talent, the upper limit of his physical potential was locked at the Professional Level; after crossing this threshold, any further growth would be extremely difficult.

This was the chasm between genius and mediocrity.

The former not only moves fast, but also goes far.

"Teacher, regarding the hospital side, should we still keep watch? What if the Ying family..."

Old Ren suddenly asked.

Originally a simple Heng Jian Operation, it produced so many twists and accidents—all because the Ying family of Center City was secretly causing trouble.

The grudges between Ying Lin and the Nanhuang Dao Guan cannot be explained in a few words; too many past entanglements and historical events are involved.

"Little Yu has gone to Center City to block the door, so Ying Lin will naturally be like a startled bird, hiding in the Red Chamber, worried and afraid, without so many means to use."

The white-haired old man waved his hand, not taking the so-called Nine Surnames of Yu Summer or the Marshal's descendants seriously.

In the Vast Star Sea, every era will eventually produce a Destined True Dragon who stirs the winds and clouds.

The Dongxia Republic moved from fragmentation to revival and unification because, in the most turbulent ages, nine grassroots heroes bearing the Heavenly Mandate became the Peerless True Dragons looked up to by all.

"Wind knives and frost swords, time is merciless; the True Dragon sleeps, leaving only mud worms and earthworms. Ying Lin is merely a puppet pawn pushed out by the Ying family; the Ying family's ultimate goal is to erase He Lanchan's extant traces, and then thoroughly bury an even more distant secret."

The white-haired old man sighed; his Second Disciple Shen Zhangyuan was killed by Ying Qi precisely because he obtained something left behind by He Lanchan through the Netherworld.

Old Ren remained silent and asked no more, though deep in his heart he harbored great doubts: what kind of secret could make a Grandmaster-level figure like his teacher, and a Half-step Martial God like He Lanchan, keep it so tightly sealed?

"That kid's Third Great Limit is about to open. The Tendon Gate and Bone Gate, both broken through at once—the most basic conditions for forging a functional body have been met. The Nanhuang Dao Guan's 'Universe Furnace Secret Canon' can push the perfection of the functional body to one hundred percent, but the troublesome part is that I have never created a functional body myself; I learned it from elsewhere."

The white-haired old man rubbed his sparse eyebrows and asked with a troubled look:

"Xiao Ren, you say the Martial Association's functional bodies are as numerous as smoke and sea, practically endless. How should we choose a suitable one for that kid?"

Ren You said in a deep voice:

"Qin Classmate is naturally outstanding in talent; just let him follow his intuition. Like Qi Wuxiang back then—when unsure what to do, ask his own heart; whatever his own heart answers, that is what he himself executes."

The white-haired old man pondered for a moment. The Old Martial Arts school indeed had this theory: the more peerless the talent, the more one possesses a certain intuition, deeply knowing how to improve and perfect oneself.

But he didn't quite believe it, because he had once been beaten by Qi Wuxiang using this very excuse.

"My own heart tells me you deserve a beating from me; for the sake of clarity of thought, I'm sorry……"

The white-haired old man remembered it very clearly; even now, thinking of Qi Wuxiang's damned appearance, he couldn't help but clench his fists.

Hmph hmph, the inheritance of the First Generation Ten Greats—few successors have any.

In another hundred years, my Nanhuang Dao Guan might very well become the new generation's Holy Land of Martial Arts!

The white-haired old man comforted himself thus: no matter how formidable Qi Wuxiang was, he still couldn't withstand time like a knife.

Nowadays he's about the same—buried in yellow earth up to his neck.

After I pass away, the 'Universe Furnace Secret Canon' can at least be passed down.

As for Qi Wuxiang, the 'Sun Moon Heavenly Net Ten Thousand Gods Spell' can only go into the coffin with him.

……

……

Yincheng, Liaoyuan Building. Qin Renying gazed out the window at the night scene, respectfully reporting the situation to the direct lineage of the Qin Family in Central City on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, it failed. Qin De, Zheng Gui, and Jiang Zaiyue, whom you sent, have all fallen in there. Fortunately, no witnesses were left, and the traces were cleaned up very cleanly."

Qin Renying was actually not surprised by this result. He had specifically investigated that poor student from Old Factory Street long ago—he was no longer what he used to be. The other party was highly valued by Chen Ruofu and also looked after by the Nanhuang Dao Guan. How could he easily suffer losses?

Moreover, the Patrol Department is a local snake, while the Nanhuang Dao Guan is an overriver dragon.

With this one dragon and one snake joining forces, strong and strong united, even the Ying Family of Central City would find it hard to stir up any waves.

"Chen Ruofu's subsequent strikes—the Yincheng Qin Family can withstand them. At worst, we shrink our business scope and swallow our anger for the moment. It's just that this year's tribute to Central City might have to be reduced……"

Qin Renying displayed his forbearance and understanding of the bigger picture.

The other end of the phone was understanding, offered a few words of comfort, and the conversation ended.

"There's always a higher mountain. The Qin Family of Central City still relies on the Ying Family's breath, doing things for them."

Qin Renying's temples showed hints of white hair. He returned to his office, where the youthful boy once called "Old Ancestor" was peacefully cultivating in the adjacent quiet chamber. After waiting bitterly for several hours, he finally pushed the door and came out.

"Let the Ying Family and the Nanhuang Dao Guan fight each other. Back then, I had you throw out He Lanchan's 'Void Meditation Method' and deliver it to Chen Ruofu's hands—all for this."

The youthful boy still spoke with an old-fashioned air. He said softly:

"This person He Lanchan is said to be one of the top five prodigies of a thousand years in Dongxia, but he was not self-taught. On the contrary, he had a very remarkable teacher. It was precisely because that teacher's background was extraordinary that it led to He Lanchan's later great calamity."

Qin Renying asked while bending his waist:

"Old Ancestor, exactly what kind of lingering problem could cause the Ten Heroes Twin Gems, who were at the height of their power back then, to nearly perish in the Imperial Capital?"

The youthful boy seemed to know many secrets and said in a deep voice:

"He Lanchan overestimated himself. He thought that by waging war on the Ancient Road, carving inscriptions in the Borderlands, and receiving a personal audience with the awakened Marshal Qin, he could do things ordinary people dare not think of or do.

He actually wanted to vindicate his teacher—truly seeking death."

Doubt appeared in Qin Renying's eyes. Who was He Lanchan's teacher?

The youthful boy said nothing more, only instructing:

"Let them fight it out themselves. The Qin Family of Central City has already had their eyes blinded by power and comfort. We take another path. The great pie the Ying Family paints—how can it compare to the grace bestowed by a god? Since the Zhu Clan can rely on making a covenant with a certain existence to become the eternal imperial house of Dongxia, why can't the Qin Family?"

Qin Renying nodded, willingly obeying the youthful boy.

The rise of the Qin Family of Mang Village in Yincheng came from his father. It was said his father, while working in the fields, picked up a mirror, and from then on began breeding to make a fortune, even becoming the village head of Mang Village, leading his hometown to prosperity.

And Qin Renying himself, relying on the deep prestige his father had accumulated, "inherited" the village head position and established the Yuhai Group, involving all industries, with wealth increasing like a snowball.

And the youthful boy was the ancient existence parasitizing that mirror.

He called himself the Old Ancestor of the Qin Family, from the Great Reclamation Era of Hengzhou.

……

……

"Brother, there are so many reporters outside, all saying they want to interview you?"

In a single-occupancy hospital room, Qin Shi lay on the hospital bed. As soon as he opened his mouth, his youngest sister Qin Lan was peeling an orange for him. As for what he wanted to eat, his eldest sister Qin Xia even personally went to the kitchen, preparing hot dishes and hot rice.

Hearing it was reporters again wanting interviews, Qin Shi shook his head:

"Secretary Huo has already told them how to write the manuscript. What more interviews? Don't see them, don't see them."

He cooperated with Old Chen's Patrol Department's propaganda work, becoming the protagonist of this Heng Jian Operation's great success.

Because once the reputation was out, he could apply for more resource quotas. Dongxia possesses thirty-two administrative planets and is in the Great Expedition and Great Reclamation stage, occupying many resource planets.

For the new generation's heaven's favorites to obtain resources, the simplest method is to stand out, receive official recognition, and gain the focused cultivation of various agencies and units.

Of course, signing with a big company is also a path, but compared to the various enjoyments of having an establishment and benefits, it still falls a bit short.

"Brother, you're truly famous now! I used to see those amazing geniuses on the advertising screens in the Urban Circle. Will I see you on them in the future!"

Qin Lan's eyes sparkled with little stars, full of admiration.

"Maybe. Old Chen said he'd arrange a personal interview for 'Tomorrow's Star' to give me some publicity, mainly building an inspirational persona and gathering some popularity."

Qin Shi ate the honey-sweet Honey Snow Orange. As for standing out and being a celebrity, he didn't have any strong desire.

Compared to empty fame, he cared more about actual benefits. The previous Talent Cultivation Project had already benefited him immensely.

The one hundred and fifty million sponsorship quota passed by the Hengzhou Martial Association's education fund also solved many problems.

I don't know what changes the Martial Arts New Star Plan, led by the Martial Association and the Education Committee, will bring.

After sending off the chattering youngest Qin Lan, Qin Shi sat up from the sickbed; though called a ward, it was more like a convalescent center for cadres to rest.

Every twenty-four hours, dedicated medical staff checked his physical condition and provided services in all aspects.

Qin Shi drank a bottle of Mineral Essence, radiance spraying through every inch of his flesh and blood; this time, breaking his limit caused quite a commotion.

He felt all the bones in his body trembling and shaking, like red-hot steel being tempered to expel impurities.

Immediately after, wisps of heat rose from between his bones, seeping outward and dispersing, constantly stimulating his blood's metabolism.

"The powerful blood-producing function makes my hair grow explosively... a Saiyan Transformation?"

These past days, Qin Shi took one-third of a Mineral Essence daily, ensuring sufficient nutrition for his body during the New Life Stage.

He operated the Ru Shen Ti Furnace, digesting that Scorching Intent; his black hair strands sprouted like branches, instantly growing from bangs at his forehead to waist-length, and looking in the mirror, he resembled a human from the Ancient Era.

"Entering this stage, my Physical Ability has increased several times over compared to before, with corresponding increases in speed and strength. Pity, there's still a considerable gap between me and the perfect muscles of Zhang Daye, as if condensing the ultimate level of the Life Flower."

Qin Shi recalled the heroic, martial back of the white-haired old man, his muscles knotted and tightly coiled, as if flowers containing Life Breath were blooming, forming patterns full of power and beauty.

He closed his eyes and opened the Stele Panel; the achievements Worker Warrior and Super-Sensory Perception both completed their Upgrade.

Besides the rewards given by the Four Pillars, the Stela also bestowed a return.

The richest of these was the lucky badge "Disaster Is Always One Step Behind Me."

(Chapter End)