Hong's Test

Shi Fen felt the energy within his body falling short of demand. He focused his mind to the utmost and absorbed energy frantically. The Eight Trigrams Reincarnation Mirror went straight into his mind, pouring pure cosmic energy into it. A small amount of energy escaped and merged with Shi Fen's body, helping him evolve faster.

In principle, since people never actively absorbed cosmic energy from birth until becoming Martial Artists, all their cells were in a state of hunger. The first time a Martial Artist absorbed cosmic energy, he absorbed the most, and improved the most dramatically.

But this principle didn't apply to an outlier like Shi Fen.

First, both Shi Fen's body and his mind had been transformed, making them different from those of ordinary people. Their fundamental level was higher, so naturally they absorbed far more cosmic energy.

Second, Shi Fen's training in the Inner World seemed to have bathed him in dense cosmic energy. In reality, that training had only stimulated his cells even more. It was like taking you to a luxurious restaurant every day, where you encountered the finest delicacies and delicious dishes, but could only smell them.

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

His cells had spent months "smelling" the "food," relying entirely on its "aroma" to improve his physical fitness. They'd long been "craving" it, eager to have cosmic energy coated in breadcrumbs, fried until golden brown, and swallowed in one bite.

One could imagine that after this training session, Shi Fen's physical fitness would improve astonishingly.

A little over ten minutes after Shi Fen entered his training state.

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

The black-haired man looked barely over twenty. He wore black clothes and kept his short hair in a sharp crew cut. His air was cold and severe, as if he could pierce the heavens. His eyes resembled a deep, icy-black pool, making people feel a shiver in their hearts.

"Elder Qian, is that kid really as incredible as you say? You weren't this excited about your previous Spiritual Master apprentice." The black-haired man walked shoulder to shoulder with Elder Qian, speaking as if in jest.

"Hmph. The world's strongest man is actually making fun of an old blacksmith like me for my judgment. Shi Fen's potential surpasses that of every apprentice I've ever had. Even I might not match his forging talent." Elder Qian's expression seemed placid, but he was really mocking Hong for knowing nothing about forging.

The man walking beside Elder Qian was none other than the world's strongest man, Hong!

Seeing that Elder Qian's tone was a little off, Hong gave an awkward laugh. "Heh, Elder Qian, that's not what I meant. Based on what you said earlier, I'm counting on the two of you to forge batches of SSS-Grade Weapons, or even higher-grade ones."

Only then did Elder Qian's expression soften. Even if the person mocking him for dedicating his life to his craft was Hong, he wouldn't give him a warm reception.

All the SS-Grade Weapon equipment Hong wore had been painstakingly forged by Elder Qian himself. They were top-tier SS-Grade Weapons, and two small pieces had even just barely reached the level of SSS-Grade Weapons.

To manufacture SSS-Grade Weapons, aside from using top-tier materials to make Kro Alloy, the only other possibility was forging! Their ridiculously high failure rate made SSS-Grade Weapons incredibly precious.

Elder Qian was one of the few master forgers capable of forging SSS-Grade Weapons. With a status like that, Hong would never dare offend him.

Not just Hong, but Thor, the HR Alliance, the various powers, and the experts of the various Base Cities all dared not offend Elder Qian. He was the foremost forging master at the highest level on Earth. They couldn't wait to curry favor with him!

If they ingratiated themselves with him and made him happy, they would profit even if he casually fired up his forge and made something.

Anything made by Elder Qian was bound to be a masterpiece.

At least top-tier SS-Grade quality.

Hong's respect for Elder Qian came from the heart.

If Elder Qian hadn't led a research team back then to develop the manufacturing process for high-grade Kro Alloy, there would have been no higher-grade S- and SS-Grade Kro Alloy later on. There would have been no rare SSS-Grade Weapons, either.

Without Elder Qian, the Martial Artists on Earth would probably have had to carry fire pokers when they fought monsters.

Seeing the world's strongest man treating him so respectfully, Elder Qian narrowed his eyes and smiled. "If you want SSS-Grade Weapons, you'd better offer me something good. Help me boost my apprentice's strength right away."

"Heh, that's nothing. I'll gladly pay the price and help Shi Fen reach the advanced War God level!" Hong was already overjoyed at the thought of being able to use a full set of SSS-Grade Weapon equipment.

With a full set of SSS-Grade equipment in hand, and the Black God Set underneath, 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, Earth's era of monster-related crises would come to a complete end, and human history would turn a new page.

Hong looked forward to Elder Qian creating another miracle.

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

The more confident Elder Qian was, the more willing Hong would be to invest.

Based on Elder Qian's reaction, Hong felt that Shi Fen was worth investing in. But he still wasn't entirely reassured, so he decided to come see for himself.

After getting a clear answer from Hong, Elder Qian grinned. He was finally at ease. Now he could get Shi Fen started on high-grade materials right away and avoid wasting time unnecessarily.

"Haha, the more generous you are, the sooner you'll see batches of SSS-Grade Weapons being made." Elder Qian was especially confident about this now.

The two of them walked to the other end of the tunnel. They were both extraordinary people, and had spotted where Shi Fen was from a long way off. A screen beside the door to Shi Fen's room showed that someone was inside.

Before this, all the rooms in the entire "apartment" had been empty except for Elder Qian's. Hong knew that Elder Qian liked to live in a whole suite on the top floor, so he naturally wasn't mistaken.

To devote himself entirely to teaching Shi Fen forging, Elder Qian had driven all his apprentices out of the underground Forging Room last night and told them to use the Forging Room aboveground for the time being.

When they could return depended on how quickly Shi Fen progressed.

Fortunately, Shi Fen's senior apprentices weren't angry with him. Instead, they were all curious about what kind of person this apprentice they'd never met could be, to make their teacher treat him this way.

Besides, could the apprentices taught by Elder Qian really have poor character?

Shi Fen didn't know any of this. He was currently focused on absorbing cosmic energy and improving his strength!

Elder Qian and Hong strolled to the door.

Elder Qian was just about to open the door to Shi Fen's room when Hong suddenly sensed an unusual fluctuation. His expression changed. Without a second thought, he stopped Elder Qian, gently shook his head, held up a finger to his lips, and motioned for them to move farther away.

Elder Qian was taken aback. Though he didn't understand what Hong was doing, he still chose to trust him without question.

The two immediately tiptoed away.

"What is it?" Elder Qian asked loudly once they'd moved farther away.

"Shi Fen really isn't an ordinary person. He's cultivating Genetic Origin Energy." Hong was somewhat shocked. From what he could sense, Shi Fen was absorbing energy far faster than a normal person.

If the room hadn't been so well soundproofed and shielded, Hong would have felt the energy fluctuation from much farther away. Luckily, he'd noticed it in time.

"Hm?" Elder Qian's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. "I was only gone for a few minutes. Shi Fen already succeeded in cultivating?"

Hong shrugged helplessly. "He's your apprentice. Why are you asking me?"

Elder Qian's expression turned stern. He grabbed Hong and dragged him toward a corner, looking thoroughly displeased. "You're so strong. Don't accidentally disrupt my apprentice's cultivation."

Hong opened his mouth silently, at a loss for words. There was no need to be this protective. Good thing I noticed. Otherwise, this old man would've thrown another fit. Hong secretly congratulated himself.

Elder Qian was someone Hong really couldn't afford to offend.

I'll just call it respecting the elderly and caring for the young, Hong reassured himself. After using my resources, how could he not belong to the Extreme Martial Arts Hall? Tsk, a genius Spiritual Master. I wonder if Shi Fen is stronger than that young fellow from India. If Thor finds out I poached a genius right out from under him, he'll probably be hopping mad.

Thinking about it, Hong was quite pleased.

The two important figures knew perfectly well that the room had excellent soundproofing, yet they still quietly made their way to the lounge in the corner opposite the "apartment." Without saying a word, they quietly brewed some tea and waited for Shi Fen to finish cultivating.

An hour passed... The two calmly drank their tea.

Two hours passed... They remained calm, changing the tea leaves again and again.

Four hours passed...

"How is this kid so ridiculous? Elder Qian, let's go eat." Hong was starting to get restless. They'd been drinking tea all afternoon, and between them had nearly finished a huge bucket of water. Their stomachs felt washed out, but Shi Fen showed no sign of finishing.

Hong never pretended to be serious in front of Elder Qian. He said whatever was on his mind.

Elder Qian was deeply conflicted. Who trained for this long the first time? Shi Fen had already broken the record for the longest cultivation session. True, he'd awakened his Spiritual Force a few months ago, but surely that didn't explain all this?

Elder Qian's voice carried a helpless note, and he sounded a little unsure. "It should be soon. With our strength, eating a little later won't matter."

Hong nodded. He'd had enough tea, so he simply closed his eyes and rested, carefully sensing the changes in the energy as he waited for Shi Fen to finish cultivating.

Seeing this, Elder Qian also closed his eyes and rested, quietly waiting for Shi Fen to finish cultivating.

A little over half an hour later, Hong sensed a change in the flow of energy and immediately opened his eyes. Elder Qian, sitting in front of him, opened his eyes at once as well. With perfect coordination, the two darted to the door of Shi Fen's Cultivation Room.

Hong was a step faster and opened the door without hesitation.

Hong happened to see Shi Fen "completing his training." On a sudden impulse, he let out a loud shout. "Ha! Take this!" He extended a hand and slowly struck toward Shi Fen.

Shi Fen had just finished cultivating. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar man in black attacking him. He immediately leaped up and instinctively swung a punch to meet the attack.

He put all his strength into that punch.

Shi Fen felt as if his fist had struck a mountain. The black-haired man's palm didn't budge at all. A wave of pain shot through Shi Fen's fist. He instinctively jerked his head up and leaped backward, putting a wide distance between himself and the man in black.

Just then, Shi Fen saw Elder Qian rushing impatiently into the room. He exclaimed in surprise, "Master? What's going on?"

Elder Qian didn't answer Shi Fen. He turned to look at Hong. Though Elder Qian was much slower than Hong, he was still an advanced War God and had seen Hong test Shi Fen. Naturally, he wanted to ask Hong first.

From the moment he'd opened the door, Hong had carefully observed Shi Fen, including his precise reactions, expression, how well he controlled his body as he punched, and his actual strength. Hong had seen it all clearly.

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

Elder Qian's eyes lit up. This wasn't something just anyone would say—it was Hong saying it! How many people on Earth had earned Hong's approval?

Shi Fen watched the man in black warily, unsure how to react.

Since the man had come with his master, he probably wasn't an outsider. Still, Shi Fen had to keep up appearances. He asked in confusion, "Master, who is this?"

A hint of mischief suddenly appeared on Elder Qian's face. Smiling broadly, he said, "This is Hong, the world's strongest man!"