Chapter 197: Heavenly Pass Four Stages, the Freedom of the Strong!

How could Old Zhang have the feeling of entrusting his orphan to someone?

Qin Shi took that iron object of extraordinary significance, his head spinning.

Logically speaking, he himself was the "orphan," wasn't he?

"Master Zhang, you're fine, right?"

Qin Shi asked nervously.

Nanhuang Dao Guan could be considered his greatest backer at present.

Without Old Zhang, a Grandmaster Level expert, backing him, the Ying Clan could easily crush him with a single finger.

Of course, actively throwing himself in with Old Chen and willingly becoming a live-in son-in-law was another way out.

"Don't worry."

Old Zhang raised his drooping eyelids and smiled, saying:

"I can still live a few more years."

Qin Shi spread his hands and looked down at that iron object.

It was a palm-sized token imitating the Ancient Era, with a metallic luster on its surface, engraved in relief with the four characters "Hundred No Taboos," the brushwork ancient and simple, showing no sharpness.

"You just need to input your identity information into it. Dongxia's 'Legal Network' will then be unable to restrain you; you can first achieve the 'result,' then provide the 'reason' for anything you do."

Old Zhang's voice was hoarse:

"Holding this kind of power, you are destined to be listed on all official lists of Dongxia as a 'Dangerous Person.' This is no longer that turbulent era of using martial arts to disrupt prohibitions; every dojo is either pacified or feared. I have only used it twice so far."

"Xiao Qin, remember this: Hundred No Taboos is based on your own strength. It is merely a legitimate excuse for you to exercise this power."

Qin Shi nodded, indicating he understood.

What any powerful regime values most is stability.

Wearing armor and wielding weapons, Hundred No Taboos sounds imposing.

In reality, it is the most restless variable in this solid system.

No one likes a sword hanging over their head, and no one wants to be supervised by a third party.

The existence of a dojo master's permit does not serve everyone's interests.

That is why the Martial Arts Association Headquarters has been thinking of gradually taking it back.

"Master Zhang, is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Qin Shi was about to head to Center City, which was the "Old Nest" of the Education Bureau and the Ying Clan, with a rather high risk coefficient.

"Ying Lin won't move against you again. You just need to guard against Mo Qihuan; he has spent most of his life mastering power struggles and is very good at digging pits for people."

Old Zhang said slowly:

"As for safety, Little Yu is enough to deal with open guns and hidden arrows. This time, you won the championship of the Hengzhou Hundred Strong Competition and received the Governor's Mansion's commendation, making you a prominent figure."

Under the focus of countless eyes, even if they had the guts of a bear and a leopard, those forces wanting to curry favor with the Ying Clan and cling to the powerful would not dare to do anything."

Qin Shi nodded; Hengzhou was not a place beyond the law, still under the radiance of Dongxia's Nine Marshals.

If he had an accident, that Planetary Governor who had retreated behind the scenes for many years would definitely turn Center City upside down.

Otherwise, when responsibility was investigated afterward, no one could bear it!

"Master Zhang, aren't you planning to go to the Central District to take a look?"

Qin Shi thought it over and over, still feeling a bit nervous; without Old Zhang, this strong backer, he never felt at ease in his heart.

"My old arms and legs can't take the tossing anymore; I'll stay in Tai'an, cultivate my body, and try to breathe a few more breaths."

Old Zhang shook his head, refusing to be Qin Shi's bodyguard.

The latter felt a bit disappointed, but also felt something was off.

Given Old Zhang's character, such a great opportunity to give face to Nanhuang Dao Guan and stomp on those New Martial Arts faction people from the Martial Arts Association, he actually chose to beat a retreat?

However, hearing Old Zhang say this, Qin Shi couldn't press further; he accepted the position of Executive Deputy Dean of Nanhuang Dao Guan and input his identity information into that token-shaped permit.

With a hum, through the vibration of radio waves, this news spread rapidly and was learned by the officials of Hengzhou New Star.

Various units and departments received word that a local "Dangerous Person" wearing armor and wielding weapons, with Hundred No Taboos, had appeared again!

Inside the underground machine room of the Patrol Department.

Old Feng, who was pleasing the Machine Soul, disassembling some hardware, and doing dust-cleaning work, suddenly widened his pupils.

His brain seemed to connect to a certain frequency band, hearing the sound fluctuations emitted by the huge Machine Soul.

"Nanhuang Dao Guan has completed the inheritance ritual?"

Old Feng was stunned for a moment, then stopped his pleasing act and came to the workbench.

Indeed, he saw that the information on the key monitoring list had been updated.

This "Blacklist," released by the Dongxia Tribunal with extremely high confidential permission authority, detailed the dojo masters currently holding permits and their related inheritors.

Their names were marked with striking red, as well as different levels of risk coefficients.

Among them, Nanhuang Dao Guan actually ranked in the top three of the entire list!

"Qin Shi's teacher is truly brave."

Old Feng, responsible for machine room maintenance, glanced with the corner of his eye and caught part of the content.

【... Nanhuang Dao Guan, First Generation Dao Guan Master, Zhang Qiang. Transcending Professional Realm, approaching 'King-Sealing Rank,' possessing extremely powerful survival capability and combat capability, once shattered Hengzhou's Iron Curtain Defense, broke into the Songgu Riverbank Villa, slaughtered seventy-seven direct descendants of the Ying Clan, and beheaded three Jiang Jun from the War Group Elite...】

Old Feng clicked his tongue twice, thinking Qin Shi's teacher was simply too fierce.

At such an advanced age, he could still maintain such a slaughterous state!

The extraordinary level above Professional Realm is called "Heavenly Pass Four Stages."

In the Ancient Era, they were not divided so finely and were uniformly called "Grandmaster Level."

After New Dongxia was established, the military conducted a major drill, considering this statement too vague and too old-fashioned.

So it was changed to "Four Stages of the Heavenly Pass."

The division was quite simple: just "War-Grade," "Jiang Jun Grade," "Enfeoffed King Grade," and "All-Emperor Rank."

"An 'All-Emperor Rank' combat power who has lived from the time of the First Generation Ten Greats until now. Indeed too terrifying!"

Lao Feng scratched his increasingly thinning hair, strictly following Dongxia regulations, and raised Nanhuang Dao Guan one rank, placing it second on the Blacklist.

"Qin Shidi is temporarily relatively 'safe,' belonging to the bottom, and won't be watched by the Judgment Court."

The Judgment Court, as a well-known secret department of Dongxia, wields enormous power.

They are equivalent to an enhanced version of the military inspectorate, possessing nearly unlimited investigative and surveillance authority.

Once entering the Judgment Court's sight, one must face omnipresent hidden "supervision."

Even Elder Zhang of Nanhuang Dao Guan, with such seniority and strength.

Every interplanetary trip must be declared, explaining the itinerary;

Every entry into the system's core must undergo Iron Curtain Defense inspection, ensuring no lethal weapons are carried.

"The freedom of the strong has always been a false proposition."

Lao Feng couldn't help but sigh that transcending the Professional Realm would grant countless privileges, allowing one to legally occupy undeveloped planets, establish one's own armed forces, and even possess civilian fleets.

But at the same time, one must pay a certain price, such as compromises and concessions to the authorities.

That's why Lao Feng said Qin Shi ranking at the bottom is a good thing.

If the ranking on this Judgment Court Blacklist is too high, personal freedom will be more or less restricted.

His fingers tapped cracklingly, completing the ranking change of Nanhuang Dao Guan, and then sent the data to the backends of various units and departments in Hengzhou.

Then he opened Hengzhou's local "Major Dangerous Person List," and sure enough, due to taking over Nanhuang Dao Guan, Qin Shi also entered the top thirty.

As a high school student who has not yet entered the Professional Realm, for him to appear here, rubbing shoulders with those who are either heinous villains who have committed answers, or those who abandoned Dongxia to join the Chaos Pillar, is indeed not easy.

After doing all this, Lao Feng prepared to close the interface, and his gaze subconsciously flew upward.

Hengzhou's local number one Major Dangerous Person actually had only one red-highlighted name.

Liang Zhengxiong.

Not even a related introduction.

……

……

Before departure, Qin Shi had been staying at Nanhuang Dao Guan these past few days, with training intensity directly doubled.

This left Ren Yu, Old Yu, and others who were idling around watching the excitement utterly stunned.

The two of them stood on the top of a high-rise building, looking down at densely packed residential areas and traffic lines.

This was Xuan Ming mobilizing simulation resources to construct scenes from part of Center City, used for Qin Shi's training.

"A Professional Level One Segment opponent, do you think Little Qin Shidi can take him down?"

Old Yu held her braided pigtails, standing against the wind, the corners of her floral skirt fluttering.

"Hard to say. After all, it's mobilized data, combat consciousness simulated with massive resources, probably only able to approach eighty percent intensity."

Ren Yu gazed into the distance and saw Qin Shi surrounded front and back.

Three figures appeared on the helipad of the skyscraper, with wild winds howling past.

Bang!

The stick-wielder ferociously slashed down, Qin Shi's left foot suddenly kicked up, Hundred Aspects Tempering Force activated, air currents exploded with a boom, like a roaring wind dragon charging.

The toe collided with the alloy long staff, two violent forces burst forth with a crackle, and at the point of contact, visible-to-the-naked-eye air wave ripples spread in circles.

The stick-wielder's pupils contracted; despite Professional Grade power blessing, he actually couldn't suppress Qin Shi, which surprised him greatly. He immediately gripped the long staff and suddenly withdrew, then stepped forward to thrust again!

This thrust was like a steel cannon firing from the barrel; even an alloy steel plate dozens of meters thick would be pierced!

Bare-handed, Qin Shi pressed his palms together, as if worshipping the Buddha, his skin constantly trembling, dissipating the force, and firmly clamping the alloy long staff heading straight for his chest!

The skin of his palm was rubbed into a bloody mess by the force, yet he was completely unaware.

This kind of simulation battle, consuming resources and mobilizing massive data, is all about daring to fight and striving without fear of death.

After catching this staff, Qin Shi turned guest into host, using his palm to brace the front end, tendons and bones bursting forth with mighty power, driving his mortal body's hundred bones!

The long staff trembled, humming, actually forcing the stick-wielder to retreat step by step!

"A physique forged by the Body Four Great Limits is too inhuman! Not yet entered the Professional Realm, yet able to suppress a Professional Level One Segment!"

Old Yu's beautiful eyes shone with strange colors, thinking to herself:

"Little Qin Shidi works so hard, so diligently; later I must make more food to make up for his consumption and reward his appetite!"

Boom!

The two were like bulls locking horns; Qin Shi's forehead veins bulged, the furnace within his body operated at full strength, his hundred bones flowed like rivers and seas, releasing a domineering aura.

The force in his palm was like gunpowder, suddenly exploding and blasting open, forcefully pushing the long staff and knocking the opponent flying!

The man couldn't match him in strength; both feet left the ground, he smashed through the rooftop railing, and directly fell into a building hundreds of meters away.

But after all, he was in the Professional Realm, his bodily control at its peak; arms extended, fingers spread, the load-bearing pillar was like fragile tofu, easily grabbed and torn, plunged deep!

Relying on this, the opponent stopped his retreat and suddenly halted.

He was expressionless, slowly straightening his back; the bright crystals formed by Qi Life Force released wave after wave of radiance, mending his internal injuries.

Within just a few breaths, this opponent had recovered to peak condition.

Next, he slightly squatted, both feet stepping into the floor, bursting out a large area of spiderweb cracks.

Swish!

As his figure shot out like a sharp arrow, the air seemed torn, pulling out a near-vacuum human-shaped channel.

The tables and chairs on both sides, as if squeezed, shattered instantly; various documents, as if thrown into a shredder, turned into sky-filling fine scraps!

In less than half a second, the opponent returned to the Heavenly Platform, throwing a punch at Qin Shi's head!

Because his strength was fully unleashed, like a flood breaching a dam, bundles of muscles swelled crazily, nearly tearing his clothes apart!

The powerful wind pressure blew Qin Shi's face tight; he raised an eyebrow and threw a punch in return!

White smoke swirled and surged within his body's furnace, pouring out by operating force through his Mortal Body!

Boom!

Like a great drum struck by a copper hammer, it emitted a dull sound that cut off abruptly.

Qin Shi's hair was shaken upright, his full and solid tough tendons and muscles rippling with water-wave-like patterns.

The cement ground, like freshly baked biscuits, caved in under his step.

He withdrew his stance; had he not opened the Skin Pass, the rebound force of this punch alone would have been enough to shred his internal organs.

It was precisely because he opened the Fourth Great Limit that he could achieve ultimate force output exceeding one hundred percent, opposing the Professional Realm!

Hu!

His hair fell down, covering his forehead.

Qin Shi stepped forward, his figure crossing paths with his opponent's.

A few seconds later, the staff-wielder collapsed, uncontrolled Qi and blood surging wildly, bursting through the skin like a ruptured pipe, flowing out in streams of red viscous liquid.

"This level of force output is indeed very close to the Professional Realm."

Old Ren exclaimed in admiration; the Seven Great Limits of the Flesh path truly has excessively high Growth Potential.

The opening of the Tendon Gate, Bone Gate, and Skin Pass made Qin Shi's overall Shu Zi exceed the same tier by at least Several Times.

Especially as his Mortal Body meshes and undergoes Transformation, his Intensity will only grow higher and higher.

"This is a Heavenly Road straight to the Martial God."

Old Yu wasn't surprised either; from the First Martial God Yan Haishan to the subsequent Ning Yuanhai, the potential of the Seven Great Limits of the Flesh has already been proven.

Even among the Nine Marshals, quite a few have firmly Chosen this path.

"Young Master Qin Shidi's potential Application level, by my judgment, is approaching sixty percent. This is a terrifying Shu Zi!"

Old Yu spoke again.

Regarding the Martial Path, the human body's potential is infinite; it just depends on how much one can develop.

"Master's vision is truly unique. I thought Xiao Qin was merely an extraordinary talent surpassing the ordinary; I didn't expect him to be a Monster to this degree."

Old Ren clicked his tongue; many experts who have entered the Professional Realm have only excavated about thirty percent of their potential.

Potential is a concept proposed by the Dongxia Highest Research Institute.

It is like a well; only when water is drawn does it count as useful.

It is not that the less dug, the greater the potential.

"Break through one more Limit, let the potential approach one hundred percent, and then break that line, and one will possess the aptitude to surpass the Professional Realm!"

Old Yu's beautiful eyes flickered, gazing at Qin Shi's figure, seemingly holding infinite expectation.

Heavenly Pass Fourth Stage is the realm all True Disciples of the Nanhuang Dao Guan dream of!

Because only by crossing the Heavenly Pass, becoming a King, becoming an Emperor, can one inherit the Master and retain the right to wear armor and bear arms.

(Chapter End)