Hong's Grand Undertaking

Upon learning that the man in black was Hong, Shi Fen was instantly stunned.

Shi Fen never expected to meet Hong so early. He had just gone all out with his strike; others might not have noticed, but Hong, the world's number one powerhouse, would certainly be able to tell.

I've messed up. My strength is completely exposed.

Shi Fen felt a surge of panic, his face blank and at a loss for what to do. Seeing this, the corners of Hong's eyes curved into a mysterious arc as he directly exposed Shi Fen's secret.

"I didn't expect you to have strength exceeding a low-level War General after your first time practicing Genetic Origin Energy. It seems your talent as a Spiritual Force Master is quite high. Did you hold back when you tested your punch strength today?"

Noticing Hong's demeanor, Shi Fen felt his scalp tingle. He nodded with difficulty, admitting to the matter.

Seeing their interaction, Elder Qian's mouth twitched slightly. I never expected Shi Fen to be hiding so much. Then again, with the level of power control he displayed while forging Deep Spring, it's no wonder I couldn't discover his true depth.

If Brother Hong hadn't had a sudden whim to test him personally, who knows how long I would have been kept in the dark. Shi Fen, oh Shi Fen, you truly are a genius!

Seeing Shi Fen looking so embarrassed, Hong smiled faintly and asked, "The solid Spiritual Force in your sea of consciousness must have been depleted quite a bit, right? Otherwise, it would be impossible for you to have made such exaggerated progress."

Knowing he was thoroughly exposed, Shi Fen decided to just "break the jar since it was already cracked." He bowed slightly toward Hong and confessed, "Senior Hong, there were nine Dark Gold Spheres in my sea of consciousness. When I practiced just now, I triggered them, and they rapidly dissolved a small portion, which is why my strength surged. A small portion also dissolved when I first awakened my Spiritual Force."

Hong asked curiously, "How much of your strength did you use during the punch test today?"

Shi Fen pondered for a moment and replied, "I used about 60 percent of my strength when I tested it today."

This was the excuse Shi Fen had concocted for the two of them. The Dark Gold Spheres in his mind were now covered in bright golden spots, and their volume had increased slightly. Shi Fen didn't know why this was happening, so he could only fabricate a story based on the conventional logic of the world as he understood it.

Hong and Elder Qian were slightly surprised. With such rapid growth in strength and only a small portion of the solid Spiritual Force consumed, his talent was undeniably high. The exact extent of his talent would depend on how long those nine solid Spiritual Force spheres could last.

The later the solid Spiritual Force dissolved, the greater the talent.

Under the strong insistence of Hong and Elder Qian, Shi Fen tested his punch strength once more.

"13,082kg."

With Shi Fen going all out, the data displayed was terrifying.

Before Shi Fen practiced the Five Hearts Towards Heaven, his strength should have been around 7,000 kilograms. After practicing Genetic Origin Energy, his strength had nearly doubled.

"Good lad, just relying on your solid Spiritual Force, your strength is already approaching a mid-level War General after your first formal practice," Elder Qian exclaimed.

Hong was equally shocked, secretly calculating in his heart that, as far as Shi Fen was concerned, his talent was only stronger, not weaker, than the most famous Spiritual Force Masters on Earth!

Moreover, the way Shi Fen had thrown his punch earlier had a certain method to it, reminiscent of ancient Chinese martial arts. Although the technique was just a "flowery display," the foundation was exceptionally outstanding.

Hong had discovered a great deal of information regarding Spiritual Force Masters from ancient ruins.

One piece of information had left the deepest impression on him: "Genius Spiritual Force Masters, even without practicing any secret manuals, can naturally become Apprentice-level 9 powerheads just by relying on the solid Spiritual Force in their brains, and the more powerful ones can even grow to the Planetary level." Such individuals had appeared several times in history among the natives of primitive planets who had never known cultivation.

This was the first time Hong had met someone so "dull"—he hadn't been in a rush to practice, but once he did, he ascended to the heavens in a single step. "It seems that having the solid Spiritual Force divided into multiple pieces is indeed very advantageous for cultivation. The progress in strength is astonishing!"

While Hong was pondering how to treat Shi Fen, Shi Fen bowed respectfully to him and asked, "Senior Hong, what about me in the future..."

Hong raised a hand to interrupt him, suddenly laughing heartily. "Haha, there's no need for that. I call your master Elder Qian, and you call me Senior Hong—wouldn't that make us different generations? If you don't mind, just call me Big Brother."

Elder Qian and Shi Fen stared in surprise, wondering what Hong was up to.

Shi Fen reacted quickly and hurriedly said, "Hello, Big Brother Hong."

Hong smiled triumphantly and said, "Elder Qian, you don't mind that your disciple and I address each other as brothers, do you?"

"No matter how much of a genius Shi Fen is, isn't he still a member of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall? Is there really a need to pull strings like this?" Elder Qian was a man who had lived long enough to become a sage; he saw through Hong's little scheme, his tone revealing his disdain for Hong.

Hong wasn't the least bit angry at having his intentions exposed; instead, he said smugly, "Such a genius Spiritual Force Master, a future forging master with limitless prospects, and your prized student to boot—what's wrong with me building a relationship early? I'm counting on my little brother here to grow up quickly and get me a set of SSS-grade equipment."

At this moment, Hong had completely shed the airs of the world's number one powerhouse. He rubbed his hands together excitedly at Shi Fen, full of anticipation. "Little Brother Shi, hehe, I won't beat around the bush. I'm counting on you to upgrade my gear. I hope you surpass your teacher soon."

Seeing Hong's reaction, Shi Fen was already overjoyed. I never expected high-tier weapons to have such a strong appeal to Hong that he'd immediately acknowledge me as his little brother. This...

But thinking about it, it made sense. Given Hong's strength, if he were to truly fight, SS-grade weapons would never withstand that level of combat. Every martial artist wanted a weapon that suited them. Even the world's number one powerhouse, Hong, could not be an exception.

Shi Fen never imagined that things would take such a strange turn, and that he would end up building a connection with Hong so unexpectedly.

Shi Fen said to Hong, looking slightly excited, "Big Brother Hong, I will definitely work hard."

Elder Qian stood beside them, hand on his forehead, his face covered in black lines.

"That's enough from both of you. Hong, hurry up and give Shi Fen your good stuff. If you don't give him the good things, how is he supposed to improve?" Elder Qian urged Hong.

Hong chuckled, waved his hand, and several large trunks suddenly appeared on the ground.

Hong looked at Shi Fen affectionately, completely ignoring Elder Qian's presence, and pointed to the trunks one by one to explain. "These trunks contain some of the strongest secret manuals currently available to humanity. There are manuals for both martial artists and Spiritual Force Masters inside. When you get tired of forging, you can study these. This trunk contains the treasures I've prepared for you to help you improve your strength: a portion of Dragon Blood, a portion of Jade Marrow, and a precious Millennium Willow Heart. I've written down the order of consumption and the precautions inside. Once you've fully absorbed the medicinal power, it will be enough for you to become a high-level War God."

Seeing Hong's generosity—not only giving Dragon Blood and Jade Marrow but also the plant-based life form most suitable for Shi Fen—Elder Qian's expression softened considerably, and he no longer felt like "despising" Hong.

Elder Qian was extremely satisfied with Hong's performance.

Hong had truly bled for this!

Shi Fen masked his reaction perfectly. He acted extremely shocked by the sudden appearance of the trunks and Hong's introduction. Once Hong finished, Shi Fen hurriedly asked, "Big Brother Hong, how did you produce those trunks?"

Hong looked at Shi Fen, the corners of his mouth and eyes curling into a mysterious arc. His gaze held a triumphant smile as he raised his hand to show Shi Fen the ring he was wearing. "This is called a Space Ring. You carry it with you, and it can store and retrieve items."

"Is there such a thing?" Shi Fen asked, feigning shock.

"Heh, the universe is vast and full of wonders. A Space Ring is nothing. Once you become a War God, you will learn of many more miraculous things. Cultivate well and raise your strength as quickly as possible," Hong explained with a smile.

Shi Fen nodded solemnly.

As soon as Hong finished explaining, Elder Qian immediately interjected, "When are you going to get me a Space Ring?" Elder Qian had been coveting Hong's Space Ring for a very, very long time.

Hong replied with a wry smile, "Uh, Elder Qian, I only have this one Space Ring, so I'm afraid I can't help you. Even if you had one, you wouldn't be able to use it; you must break through in your cultivation first."

"Sigh, at my age, breaking through is too difficult," Elder Qian sighed.

"There is still hope," Hong said softly, offering comfort.

Elder Qian rubbed his face with both hands, straightened his expression, and said sternly to Shi Fen, "With such great talent, you must not slack off in your cultivation. Don't end up like me. Strive to break through to War God and become an even higher existence."

Shi Fen nodded heavily.

In truth, Shi Fen had already planned to acquire special treasures for Elder Qian when he eventually ventured into the universe, so he could directly help the old man boost his strength.

Hong seemed to have just remembered something and asked Shi Fen, "By the way, Little Brother Shi, what special method were you using when you threw that punch earlier?"

Shi Fen hurriedly replied, "I was using the Taiji Fist Technique I learned online, specifically the most yang and rigid parts of it."

Hong and Elder Qian were dumbfounded. Learned online...

This comprehension ability was simply absurd.

Hong thought for a moment, made up his mind, and took two more large chests of secret manuals out of his Space Ring.

Hong gave specific instructions on how to use those treasures, fearing Shi Fen might use them incorrectly. Only after Shi Fen confirmed he understood did he depart in a dashing manner.

"Shi Fen, don't worry about anything else for now. Use the treasures Hong gave you first. Once your strength and realm stabilize, we will begin forging," Elder Qian instructed before leaving to attend to other matters, no longer in a rush to teach him.

The massive underground Forging Room was left with only Shi Fen.

Shi Fen used his Spiritual Force to bring the several chests into the room.

After closing the door, Shi Fen scanned the area with his Spiritual Force to ensure there were no hidden cameras, then let out a long sigh of relief. It was no easy task to put on an act in front of two big shots.

Fortunately, no slip-ups occurred.

Shi Fen manipulated his Spiritual Force to open all the chests. The contents were revealed.

Inside, various styles of books were neatly arranged. Aside from the chest containing the treasures, the others were packed full of books.

Shi Fen took a quick look and was stunned.

Basics of Spiritual Reader, World Annihilation, Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, Phantom Blade Art, Mist Sword... there were over a dozen types of secret manuals, and all of them were complete sets!

Inside the chest containing World Annihilation, there was also a notebook—it was Hong's personal insights on World Annihilation. Although it was a photocopy, it was still astonishing.

Beyond that, the two chests Hong had taken out at the end contained classic martial arts manuals from all over the world. The collection was all-encompassing, featuring compiled editions of ancient Chinese martial arts and translated compilations of modern combat techniques—everything one could imagine.

Baji Fist, Taiji Fist, Shaolin Fist, and other long-inherited classical martial arts.

Jeet Kune Do, Judo, Karate, Boxing, Kickboxing, military combat techniques, and other modern martial arts.

They were all in the chests!

But the most terrifying part was that these were all personal versions compiled by Hong himself while he was learning and exploring martial arts. They were marked with Hong's own insights, and as Shi Fen flipped through them, he even found traces of "Thor."

"Are these the study notes of Hong and Thor?" Shi Fen was dumbfounded once again.

Just then, Shi Fen received a text message. He opened his phone to check it, and a surge of adrenaline rushed to his head, leaving him feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.

The message was from Hong.

"Little Brother Shi, keep those two chests of books safe; do not show them to anyone. Those are the martial arts insights of Thor and myself. You are only the third person in the world to see these books.

I don't just value your talent for forging and Spiritual Force; I also value your martial arts talent. These books can help you build your own martial arts foundation. I look forward to the day you catch up to me, or even surpass me.

Hong."

After reading it, Shi Fen replied immediately, expressing his gratitude and respect to Hong.

"This... why is Hong being so accommodating?" Shi Fen's mind couldn't wrap itself around it. He didn't understand what was going on or why Hong was being so candid; he couldn't figure it out at all.

No one would be this candid when meeting someone for the first time. Usually, one would take it slow, waiting to understand a person's character before gradually building trust and providing resources and treasures.

Yet, Hong had unexpectedly "skipped to the end," placing complete trust in the "little brother" he had just recognized.

This was highly illogical.

Could it be that the talent I displayed was simply too high? Shi Fen thought, feeling very uncertain.