Hong's Probing

Shi Fen felt the desperate shortage of energy within his body and, pushing his consciousness to its limit, began to absorb energy frantically. The Eight Trigrams Reincarnation Mirror dove straight into Shi Fen's mind, channeling pure cosmic energy into him. A small portion of the escaping energy merged into his physical body, accelerating his evolution.

In principle, because a newborn who has just become a martial artist has never actively absorbed cosmic energy, their cells are in a state of starvation. Thus, a martial artist's first absorption of cosmic energy is always the most significant, resulting in the most dramatic improvement.

However, this principle did not apply to an anomaly like Shi Fen.

First, both Shi Fen's body and mind had undergone transformations that made him different from ordinary people. With a higher intrinsic level, he naturally absorbed an extraordinary amount of cosmic energy.

Second, Shi Fen's training in his Inner World had seemingly been bathed in dense cosmic energy. In reality, this training had only further stimulated his cells. It was like being taken to a luxury restaurant every day, encountering top-tier delicacies and mouth-watering dishes, but only being allowed to smell the aroma.

If it were you, wouldn't you be anxious?

His cells had been "smelling" that "aroma" for months, improving his physical fitness solely through the "scent." They were already "starved to tears," desperate to immediately coat that cosmic energy in breadcrumbs, deep-fry it until golden brown, and swallow it in one bite.

One can imagine that after this cultivation session, the improvement in Shi Fen's physical fitness would be astonishing.

Ten minutes after Shi Fen entered his cultivation state.

Elder Qian and a tall, black-haired man entered the underground Forging Room.

The black-haired man looked to be in his twenties, dressed in black with a sharp, crew-cut hairstyle. His temperament was icy and cold, possessing an aura that seemed to pierce the firmament. His eyes were like a pool of cold, pitch-black water, enough to make one's heart tremble.

"Elder Qian, is that kid really as exaggerated as you say? I never saw you this excited about your previous spirit reader disciple," the black-haired man said, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Elder Qian, seemingly joking.

"Hmph, the world's number one powerhouse is actually mocking the judgment of an old blacksmith like me? Shi Fen's potential completely surpasses any of my disciples, and even I might not be able to keep up with his forging talent." Elder Qian's eyes appeared as calm as an ancient well, but he was actually mocking Hong for not understanding forging.

The person walking alongside Elder Qian was none other than the world's number one powerhouse, Hong!

Seeing that Elder Qian's tone was a bit off, Hong immediately gave a dry laugh. "Haha, Elder Qian, you say that. According to what you said before, I was counting on you two to forge SSS-grade weapons, or perhaps even higher."

Only then did Elder Qian's expression soften significantly. Even for Hong, he wouldn't give a good tone to someone mocking his life's work.

The SS-grade weapon and equipment set Hong currently wore were top-tier SS-grade weapons that Elder Qian had spent immense effort to forge by hand. Two of the smaller pieces had even barely reached the level of an SSS-grade weapon.

To manufacture an SSS-grade weapon, besides using top-tier materials to create Kro Alloy, the only other possible method was forging! The staggering failure rate of SSS-grade weapons was what made them so precious.

Elder Qian was one of the few master-level forging experts capable of crafting SSS-grade weapons. With such status, Hong would never dare to offend him.

It wasn't just Hong; powerhouses like Thor, the HR Alliance, various powerful nations, and the leaders of base cities all dared not offend Elder Qian. He was the head of the world's strongest tier of forging masters—they were all eager to curry favor with him!

If they could butter him up and keep him happy, they might get him to forge something for them, which would be a huge gain.

Anything produced by Elder Qian was a masterpiece.

At the very least, it would be top-tier SS-grade.

Hong's respect for Elder Qian was heartfelt.

If Elder Qian hadn't led his research team to develop the manufacturing process for high-grade Kro Alloy back in the day, there would be no subsequent higher-grade S-grade and SS-grade Kro Alloys, let alone the rare SSS-grade weapons.

Without Elder Qian, it could be said that the martial artists on Earth would likely have to carry fire pokers when dueling with monsters.

Seeing the world's number one powerhouse being so polite to him, Elder Qian squinted his eyes and smiled. "If you want SSS-grade weapons, you need to bring out more good things and help me raise my disciple's strength directly."

"Hehe, what's a little bit of stuff? I'll bleed a little and help Shi Fen reach the high-level Warlord rank directly!" Thinking about being able to use a full set of SSS-grade weapons and equipment, Hong was already overjoyed.

If he had a full set of SSS-grade equipment in hand, combined with the Black God Set, Hong would have the confidence to go toe-to-toe with an Emperor-level Monster.

If he could successfully deal with an Emperor-level Monster, the era of the monster crisis on Earth would be over, and a new chapter in human history would begin.

Hong was very much looking forward to Elder Qian creating another miracle.

Hong had teased Elder Qian earlier purely to provoke him and test his confidence.

The more confident Elder Qian was, the bolder Hong would be in his investment.

Combined with Elder Qian's reaction, Hong felt that Shi Fen was well worth the investment. Still, he was a bit uneasy about the specifics, which was why he decided to come and see for himself.

Receiving Hong's clear reply, Elder Qian grinned. He was completely relieved; now he could take Shi Fen and start working with high-level materials directly, cutting out unnecessary waste of time.

"Haha, the more generous you are, the sooner you'll see those batches of SSS-grade weapons." In this regard, Elder Qian was now exceptionally confident.

The two walked to the other end of the tunnel. Neither of them were ordinary people, and they sensed the location of Shi Fen from a great distance. The screen on the door of the lounge where Shi Fen was staying indicated that someone was inside.

Previously, the entire "apartment" had been empty except for Elder Qian's own quarters. Hong knew Elder Qian liked to occupy the entire top-floor suite, so he naturally wouldn't mistake the location.

To devote all his energy to teaching Shi Fen how to forge, Elder Qian had kicked all his other disciples out of the underground Forging Room last night, telling them to use the surface forging rooms for the time being.

As for when they would return, that would depend on Shi Fen's rate of progress.

Fortunately, Shi Fen's seniors weren't angry at him; instead, they were all curious about this junior brother they had never met, wondering what kind of person he was to make their teacher treat him this way.

Besides, could a disciple raised by Elder Qian have poor character?

Shi Fen was unaware of these matters; he was currently focusing all his efforts on absorbing cosmic energy to improve his strength!

Elder Qian and Hong walked slowly to the door.

Just as Elder Qian was about to open the door to Shi Fen's lounge, Hong suddenly sensed a peculiar fluctuation. His expression changed slightly, and without a second thought, he stopped Elder Qian, shook his head gently, gestured for him to remain silent, and signaled for them to move further away.

Elder Qian was stunned. Although he didn't understand what Hong was doing, he chose to trust him unconditionally.

The two immediately tiptoed away.

"What is it?" Once they were further away, Elder Qian asked bluntly.

"Shi Fen is indeed not an ordinary person; he is currently cultivating Genetic Origin Energy." Hong was somewhat shocked. In his perception, the speed at which Shi Fen was absorbing energy far exceeded that of a normal person.

If it weren't for the lounge's excellent soundproofing and shielding capabilities, Hong wouldn't have felt the energy fluctuations until he was very close. Fortunately, he had discovered the issue in time.

"Hmm?" Elder Qian's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. "I've only been out for a few minutes, and Shi Fen has already succeeded in his cultivation?"

Hong spread his hands, saying helplessly, "He's your disciple, why are you asking me?"

Elder Qian's gaze sharpened. He grabbed Hong and dragged him toward a corner, his face full of disdain. "You're so strong, don't accidentally hinder my disciple's cultivation."

Hong opened his mouth silently, at a loss for words. One couldn't be this protective of their own. It's a good thing I noticed, otherwise this old man would be throwing a tantrum again, Hong thought, feeling secretly relieved.

Hong truly could not afford to offend Elder Qian.

Just consider it respecting the old and cherishing the young, Hong consoled himself. He used my resources, how could he not be a member of my Extreme Martial Arts Hall? Tsk tsk, a genius Spiritual Force master. I just wonder if Shi Fen is stronger than that little guy in India. If Thor knew I intercepted a genius right under his nose, he'd probably be jumping mad.

Thinking of this, Hong felt a bloom of joy in his heart.

The two big shots, knowing full well that the lounge had excellent soundproofing, still walked quietly to the rest area in the corner opposite the "apartment." Without a word, they brewed tea in hushed tones, waiting quietly for Shi Fen to finish his cultivation.

An hour passed... the two of them drank their tea with great composure.

Two hours passed... the two remained calm, replacing the tea leaves pot after pot.

Four hours passed...

"How is this kid so outrageous? Elder Qian, let's go grab a bite." Hong was starting to lose his patience. After drinking tea all afternoon, the two of them had consumed nearly a large bucket of water; their stomachs had been thoroughly rinsed out by tea, yet Shi Fen showed no signs of finishing.

In front of Elder Qian, Hong never bothered to act profound; he said exactly what was on his mind.

Elder Qian was feeling quite conflicted. How could a first-time cultivation session last this long? This had already broken the record for the longest session. Even though Shi Fen had awakened his Spiritual Force a few months ago, it shouldn't be to this extent, right?

Elder Qian's tone was laced with helplessness, lacking confidence. "It should be soon. With our strength, it doesn't matter if we eat a little later."

Hong nodded. He had had enough tea, so he simply closed his eyes to rest, carefully sensing the changes in energy while waiting for Shi Fen to finish.

Seeing this, Elder Qian also closed his eyes to rest, waiting quietly for Shi Fen to conclude his session.

Half an hour later, Hong sensed a shift in the energy flow and immediately opened his eyes. Elder Qian, sitting before him, opened his eyes at the same moment. With perfect tacit understanding, the two flashed to the door of Shi Fen's cultivation room.

Hong was a step faster and casually opened the door.

Hong happened to see Shi Fen "withdrawing his power." On a whim, he let out a loud shout, "Hah! Take this!" and extended his palm, attacking Shi Fen with a slow, deliberate strike.

Shi Fen had just finished his cultivation and, upon opening his eyes to see a strange man in black attacking him, immediately leaped up and instinctively threw a punch to meet the threat.

He put his entire strength into this punch.

Shi Fen's fist felt as if it had struck a mountain. The man in black's palm didn't budge an inch, and a wave of intense pain shot through Shi Fen's fist. Subconsciously, Shi Fen jerked his head up, leaped backward, and retreated far away from the man in black.

At that moment, Shi Fen happened to see Elder Qian, who had rushed into the room impatiently, and immediately exclaimed, "Master? What is going on?"

Elder Qian did not answer Shi Fen but turned to look at Hong. Although Elder Qian's speed was far inferior to Hong's, he was, after all, a high-level Wargod and had witnessed Hong testing Shi Fen. Naturally, Elder Qian asked Hong first.

From the moment he opened the door, Hong had been carefully observing Shi Fen. He had seen everything clearly: Shi Fen's specific reactions, his gaze, his body control while throwing the punch, and his actual power.

Hong looked at Shi Fen's hands and replied solemnly, "A genius, truly extraordinary."

Elder Qian's eyes lit up. This wasn't something just anyone could say—this was Hong speaking! How many people on Earth could be acknowledged by Hong?

Shi Fen looked at the man in black with vigilance, unsure of how to react.

He figured that anyone following his master couldn't be an outsider, but he still had to go through the motions. Shi Fen asked, puzzled, "Master, who is this?"

A hint of playfulness suddenly appeared on Elder Qian's face as he smiled and said, "This is the world's number one powerhouse, Hong!"