The Favored Son of Heaven

Divine beasts were the top martial artists in the world.

All of them had different personalities, their different living environment crediting to this difference.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, Qin Fen gazed at the thousands of meters tall mountain, most of which was blanketed by lush, green trees.

This was where Song Wendong lived. Its original name had long been forgotten by the citizens of the Federation. Today, this mountain was only known as Qilin Mountain.

Qilin was different from the late White Tiger, who, as the guardian divine beast of Venus had directly changed the name his city of residence to White Tiger City, and then built it into the political and economic center of Venus. The city where White Tiger resided was also known as Sacred Tiger City; everything there belonged to him.

Song Wendong didn’t build a huge city of his own on Earth. Rather, he chose to settle on a mountain with the name of Qilin Mountain. Every Federation citizen knew that the martial god of Earth lived at the top of this mountain.

“Qilin Mountain, Qilin Mountain…”

Qin Fen repeated this in a low voice. The mountain stood before him but was this mountain easy to climb? The members of Qilin Sect at the foot of the mountain didn’t attack him immediately but judging by the indignant look on everyone’s face, they may quite possibly attack him any moment.

“Brother Qin Fen, I will ask you again.” Hashimoto hit Qin Fen’s shoulder hard with his large hand. “Are you really planning to go up and ask Qilin for his grandaughter’s hand?”

Qin Fen looked up the towering mountain and nodded lightly as he replied in a light tone, with a calm look, “If I’m going to ask for Song Jia’s hand, what am I doing here?”

“You must know Qilin’s attitude towards you, right?” Hashimoto looked about at those martial artists standing at the foot of the mountain just opposite to them. “I’m afraid…”

“I’m quite clear.” Qin Fen exercised his shoulders as he lowered his head and looked at the martial artists below. “I have considered the difficulties I will face when going up the mountain to propose a marriage a lot already. I think I will not be welcomed and perhaps even turned away. But it’s okay, I am already prepared to fight my way up.”

The nearby Mysterious Daughter of Nine Skies was secretly taken aback. Finally, she too, admitted that she had underestimated Qin Fen, who had recently killed martial dao masters one after another, who, even after knowing that Qilin had issued an edict to express his attitude, still chose to come propose a marriage.

Qin Fen calmed down a bit as he circulated his true energy before he took his first step up the mountain for the marriage proposal.

As Qin Fen raised his leg to take the step, the faces of the several dozen martial artists at the foot of the Qilin Mountain turned cold; hatred spread on everyone’s face. Everyone retreated to either side somberly, opening a way on the mountain road immediately.

Hashimoto froze, and Mysterious Daughter of Nine Skies also had a stiff expression on her face. Even Qin Fen’s furrowed eyebrows twitched non-stop in confusion. Judging by the expression of the several dozen martial artists, Qin Fen and the others would not have found it surprising for everyone guarding the mountain to charge at Qin. However, they were taken aback by this sudden backing down and clear suppression of battle intents. Qin Fen and others found this act incomprehensible.

Right then, a hump-backed old man slowly walked down the stairs going up the mountain with a gentle and appreciative look in his eyes. With just one glance, Qin Fen recognized the old man. He was Steward Hou, whom Qin Fen had met in the Shengjing Manor back then.

Qin Fen quickly took two steps forward, arrived before Steward Hou, and gave a deep bow. “Grandpa Hou.”

Qin Fen had never forgotten the grace shown by Steward Hou by teaching him palm techniques through Lin Liqiang. If not for those excellent palm technique, his martial dao would not have reached his current level for sure.

Steward Hou narrowed his eyes as he nodded lightly with his hands behind his back. “Kid, you still came. Very good, since you took the first step to climb the mountain, then these people will not stop you. Follow me.”

“Ah!?”

Qin Fen was taken aback. In light of Song Wendong’s previous declaration, even if he didn’t kill his way up the mountain, he might’ve had to resort to kicks and punches to force his way up the mountain at the very least.

“What was that ah for? My master wants to meet you.” Steward Hou turned around and lifted his old pair of legs, walking up the mountain slowly, seemingly mumbling to himself. “Master is Qilin. Why would he be Qilin if you can guess his thoughts easily?”

Qin Fen furrowed his brow slightly. As expected of Qilin! We haven’t even met face to face yet and the confrontation between us has already started. Moreover, I have already fallen behind in our first confrontation. I am caught off guard by his command of allowing me to go up the mountain without a fight.

“Are you still not going?” Hashimoto patted Qin Fen’s back happily. Even martial dao masters would find it hard to meet Qilin, Song Wendong. So, he was very happy for Qin Fen for receiving such a favor.

“Both of you, fatty and the miss, you will be staying at the foot of the mountain.” Steward Hou didn’t even look back; his voice may sound amiable but it gave a sense of irresistibility. “Master didn’t say he wants to meet you.”

Mysterious Daughter of Nine Skies shrugged her shoulders, there was the same calm look on her face as she had at the very beginning. It was hard to tell if she was pretending or if it was natural.

Qin Fen quickly followed Steward Hou up the mountain. As they walked, Steward Hou never said a word; he just kept walking forward, carrying his hands behind his slightly humped back.

Qin Fen may be following behind Steward Hou but by no means was that easy. There were many martial artists living on the mountain. From time to time, he could sense hostile glares suddenly coming from the forest, which made him feel like he was surrounded by a pack of wolves.

The higher the Qin Fen went up the mountain, the stronger the glares he could feel coming from the woods. Many people’s glares were as sharp as a knife. With his sensitive martial sense, Qin Fen felt even more uncomfortable under these sharp stares than any other martial artist.

Under these stares, Qin Fen felt as if he was walking through a forest of thorns naked, without any internal defensive art; he found each and every stare stabbing into his body. As a result, he felt like rushing into the forest and beating the hell out of them from time to time.

One would reach the summit no matter how high a mountain was. Steward Hou might have seemed slow but it only took him less than an hour to bring Qin Fen to the hall closest to the peak of the mountain.

Qin Fen found it very perplexing to reach the top of the mountain so uneventfully. What in the bloody hell is Qilin thinking? Back then, I had opposed his decree and he made a direct announcement, which made all the young martial artists come challenge me.

“Was he just testing me back then and in fact, had high hopes of me?” Qin Fen shook his head and rejected this notion. As a divine beast, who stood at the highest level of martial artists, where would he have the time to observe and pay attention to a fledgling?

There are so many young and talented martial artists in this world; even Qilin could not pay attention to all of them at the same time. Besides, as a divine beast, Song Wendong has seen many talented martial artists, he would not be surprised by a genius young martial artist, no matter how much of a prodigy one was.

He might have seen many, many young and talented martial artists of the same level disappear in the long river of martial arts.

“If he was not testing me, then…?”

Qin Fen felt even more perplexed standing at the front of the hall. In light of Qilin’s previous personality, it was obvious that his visit would not go so smoothly.

Qin Fen would not find it the least bit surprised if there was a seventeen-star martial artist standing at the foot of the mountain. As a divine beast-level martial artist, he might not have a large following but as a veteran divine beast with rich experience, his thoughts could not be guessed just by any outsider.

“Kid, wait here first, I will go and inform him first.” Steward Hou, carrying his hands behind his back, walked across the hall and embarked on the road to the peak of the Qilin Mountain, with a staggering yet measured gait.

Sitting in the lobby, Qin Fen no longer continued guessing. The longer he kept guessing, the more he would be at a disadvantage. And to propose a marriage to a divine beast-level martial artist, he could not remain passive!

Qin Fen got up and walked around the lobby. He found the furnishing here even more surprising. Originally, he thought there would be a huge screen with a large 武¹ written in stylish calligraphy and some things related to martial arts here and there.

However, this lobby was exceptionally clean and simple. It was like a hall where an ordinary elderly lived; judging by the looks of it, no one could tell that the one living here was a martial arts expert.

Not long after, Steward Hou returned to the lobby again with the same gentle and amiable smile on his face. “Kid, Master will see you now, let’s go.”

Qin Fen gave a bow before he sped up his steps towards the last steps leading to the top of the mountain. Slight ripples emerged in his calm heart.

Divine Beast! Earth Martial God! One of the strongest experts in the Federation!

Even though Qin Fen had once disobeyed his orders, the thought of meeting one of the strongest experts in the world inevitably made him a little nervous and excited. Many martial dao masters would never ever have the chance to even lay their eyes on a divine beast martial artist in their entire lifetime. Qin Fen could not help but feel a bit lucky.

Stepping on the last stair, Qin Fen was a bit surprised at the sight of Song Wendong’s residence.

The place where the honorable Earth Martial God, Qilin, Song Wendong lived wasn’t as luxurious as shown in the documentary of White Tiger.

There wasn’t a magnificent palace at the top of the tall Qilin Mountain, nor was there an exquisite villa with a garden. All there was was a house made of rocks.

The floor area of the stone house was very small as well. Qin Fen instantly realized that the actual carpet area of this house was only ten sq.m.

Song Wendong is living in this house! Just as Qin Fen’s other foot left the last stair…

A fierce shockwave erupted from that original calm and sleeping stone house suddenly! In the blink of an eye, the air around Qilin Mountain changed. Suddenly, Qin Fen felt a large flow of energy erupting from that small stone house.

This huge flow of energy and aura of power were far from those shown by the other two martial dao masters, Bae Seong-Joon and Kyokushin Kouten back then. There wasn’t any rich sense of history in that huge airflow, nor was there any imprint of one; the only thing there was was a strong substantial destructive power!

In just a flash, Qin Fen felt as if he was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The endless winds and towering waves made him feel like a helpless boat.

The moment the flow of energy broke out of the stone house, the stone house before Qin Fen trembled fiercely as a block of true energy jumped out of it! That’s right! Not a stream of true energy but a block of true energy! Qin Fen could clearly feel that this rushing flow of energy had transformed into a horse-like creature, but its momentum was far from being comparable to those of horses. After taking a form, the vast flow of energy faintly exuded an unparalleled spirit of a king’s.

This flow of energy came so suddenly! Qin Fen always had confidence in his martial senses; no matter how strong an enemy was, he could always figure out if the other party wanted to make a move.

However, today, for the first time, Qin Fen only sensed the opponent making a move when the true energy burst out of the stone house.

This is ridiculous! How did he hide it? Qin Fen was horrified. He pressed his right palm on the back of his left palm as he gently pushed them forward. Obviously, he couldn’t appear unscathed in the face of this hegemonic power. Qin Fen also felt that if he tried to dodge, the attacked from the stone house would change his line of attack with it, pushing him into a completely passive position.

Taking this attack head-on was the only way. Qin Fen placed his palms on top of his each other as true energy erupted from his entire body. The moment he felt Qilin’s energy coming in contact with his palm, his entire body shook fiercely and in a strange manner, as all the joints in his body drew a circle at the same time, and the sound of a series of mahjong tiles colliding resounded at the summit. He had wanted to guide the explosive true energy to the ground through his feet using softness.

Qin Fen immediately felt his insignificance just as the true energy crashed into his body. Qilin’s fist energy was far more overbearing that he had imagined. He was unable to guide this overbearing energy out of his body with softness. Instead, he was forced to retreat again and again, disrupting his cycle of soft energy.

BANG! When Qin Fen heard the stones under his feet explode, he heard the seething true energy in his body burst, inch by inch. Immediately, that scene of explosive shockwaves before the Venus played in his mind.

Qin Fen didn’t even have the chance to energize his biochemical beast. Everything went black before his eyes as he fainted on the spot. Just a moment before fainting, he heard a cold snort filled with strictness and disdain coming from the small stone house. His body was like a dandelion fluttering in the wind; he had completely lost control of his body.

…

An excruciating pain! Qin Fen’s every joint, every tendon, every cell was screaming in pain!

Qin Fen hadn’t felt such pain in a long time. It was like getting pierced by millions of steel needles.

The intense pain caused him to wake up from his coma. The very first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Hashimoto with a nervous expression, but he didn’t dare to do anything. He looked around and also saw Mysterious Daughter of Nine Skies without any expression.

“I… this…” Qin Fen felt about his body and realized that he was lying on the ground. The scent of the earth made him regain some spirit. He immediately asked with curiosity, “I seemed to have gone up the mountain once, haven’t I?”

Hashimoto nodded, indicating that Qin Fen’s memory was indeed correct.

“I seemed to have been knocked out by someone in the stone house…” Qin Fen stared at the ground in front of him. He had never suffered such a loss ever since he became a martial dao master; he was completely knocked out by a single punch.

“Is this the strength of a divine beast martial artist?”

Qin Fen suddenly discovered that he didn’t find getting knocked out by a punch something to be ashamed of or to be depressed about.

Why did I come here? To propose a marriage! Qin Fen found that he didn’t even have the chance to offer the marriage proposal. He was knocked out by Song Wendong directly.

Obviously, Song Wendong didn’t want to give him a chance to offer a marriage proposal. As for knocking him out with a single punch!? Qin Fen’s smile was even more helpless. Clearly, this was the reason why Song Wendong ordered people to let him come.

That was not a test or some reward for success. As a matter of fact, Qilin was very upset. If he did not beat the rebellious junior with his own hand, he would not be able to vent his anger.

Indeed, nothing felt better than in this world that beating someone who delivered himself to one’s doorsteps! Qin Fen fully understood Song Wendong’s intentions.

Looking up the top of the Qilin Mountain, Qin Fen’s heart was filled with dissatisfaction. His goal for coming here was to propose a marriage but he was beaten immediately. He wasn’t even given the chance to open his mouth and offer the marriage proposal. Did I just come here for nothing?

“This won’t do!” Qin Fen put his hands before his waist, sitting with his legs crossed. He closed his eyes and began operating the Rejuvenation Art to heal his injuries. “At the very least, I need to go up the mountain and tell him that, I am here for your granddaughter, Song Jia’s hand in marriage, please betroth Song Jia to me.”

A Mysterious Daughter of Nine Skies observed Qin Fen quietly, she slowly came to admire him. First of all, there were not many people in this world who dared to meet Song Wendong. Even fewer still were people who didn’t feel the slightest bit shame or dejection after having been knocked unconscious, and still decide to go up the Qilin Mountain again immediately after everything.

“As long as this guy doesn’t die on the Qilin Mountain, he would be the best candidate to deal with the Emperor of Inferno!” Mysterious Daughter of Nine Skies firmed her heart a bit more.

Very soon, Qin Fen’s injuries healed after operating the Rejuvenation Art.

Qin Fen didn’t go up the mountain after recovering immediately. He was still meditating with his legs crossed. He kept playing the scene of that punch advancing out of the stone house.

That punch didn’t have any earth-shattering momentum but there was an extreme air of confidence around it. What was even more admirable was that this punch was extremely accurate. Song Wendong punched the moment Qin Fen’s other foot left the stairs!

Time, angle, and the hidden technique! Qin Fen had no choice but to admit that the strength of a divine beast-level martial artist was truly extraordinary. If he didn’t mull over it and rashly rushed up the mountain, he would be knocked down the mountain again facing that unfathomable punch.

Qin Fen no longer replayed the moment when Qilin punched out, he began to think why the stone house appeared so calm before everything; why it could hoodwink his martial senses.

Why could he only mitigate one-seventh of Qilin’s punch when, theoretically, he should have mitigated three-seventh using soft force? If he could mitigate three-seventh of Qilin’s strength, he would not have fainted at least.

Fainted? Qin Fen suddenly remembered the explosive power in Qilin’s punch before he fainted.

The series of pictures connected with each other in the blink of an eye, like a video playing at high speed. A smile spread across Qin Fen’s lips. It wasn’t unjust to be knocked out by this punch. In fact, it should be said that I had profited from it.

Qin Fen sat at the foot of the Qilin Mountain for an entire day, thinking carefully. Only when he had truly gotten a deep understanding of the previous punch did he open his eyes again. He stood up, looking at the summit of the mountain. “Today, I will go up the Qilin Mountain for the second time! This time, I will clearly explain my intention and finish proposing marriage!”