A muscular girl is presented to the passionate world of crossover anime.

"Intelligence, that's the greatness of intelligence!" Fan Haiwang exclaimed excitedly, "That Lie Haiwang is hailed as the number one in character and martial arts in the last thirty years, having mastered all kinds of martial arts—bah! Does anyone even consider me? Guo Haihuang is already old and hasn't fought in decades. It's uncertain whether he'll even live to see the Grand Tournament, and I'm afraid he won't be able to fight anymore. Next year's Grand Tournament will be a duel between me and Lie Haiwang. At that time, I will definitely prove to everyone that I am the unparalleled genius representing Chinese martial arts!"

This is Fan Haiwang's true ambition. He is not a bad person, but he is definitely a cunning and clever one. The two assassinations of Huayin and the instigation of the Martial Arts Department to attack her were done by others, but Fan Haiwang easily turned them into the most favorable results for himself with just a few words.

In other words, only someone with such cunning and intelligence could have risen to the position of "Sea King" at such a young age and ambitiously strive for the highest honor.

“My brother… he might have already prepared a plan to deal with me.” Standing next to Fan Haiwang, Li Haiwang was also terrified. Although he was very confident in his martial arts skills, his brother knew his strengths and weaknesses very well, and he hadn’t seen his brother make a move in a long time.

"Oh, right." Li Haiwang suddenly remembered something: "What if it really is Lie Haiwang who arrives in three days, and Ye Huayin defeats him?"

The room fell silent. Fan Haiwang stopped laughing, and the atmosphere became a little awkward.

But the silence didn't last long. Fan Haiwang quickly calmed down: "If Ye Huayin wins, then she will be my target in the Grand Tournament. I will take this opportunity to observe her closely. Lie Haiwang's reputation is well-deserved. It will not be easy for anyone to defeat him. Even if Ye Huayin wins, it will definitely be a Pyrrhic victory. My scheme includes her in it as well."

"As expected of my elder brother, you've thought of everything!" Li Haiwang praised Fan Haiwang, but dismissed Huayin with disdain: "I was just asking casually. Ye Huayin is just a little girl who learned a bit of fancy martial arts in Japan. You should be more worried about her because she's too weak and can't test Lie Haiwang's strength at all."

"Hey, the Kengan Association is quite high-level. I heard that there are many boxing champions and fighting champions among the contestants. Ye Hana's ability to stand out from the crowd must mean she is an extraordinary strong person. Besides, you arrived late and didn't see how she toyed with Li Yangwang. She was so relaxed and at ease. That light and graceful fighting style might be a tough opponent for you."

Li Haiwang was a rather chauvinistic man who never took Huayin seriously. Seeing Fan Haiwang praising Huayin so highly, he nonchalantly waved his fist: "Although I didn't see her fight Li Yangwang, what's so hard about guessing her style? Women, after all, don't need speed and agility; do they have to compete with men in strength?" He finished with a heavy snort: "A moth may be agile, but against a spider's web, it's ultimately just prey. My poisonous hand has no weaknesses; how could any casually agile martial artist break through it?"

“My foolish brother…” Because they were brothers, Fan Haiwang added, “You are very knowledgeable about modern combat and fighting, but you have overlooked the experience and history of four thousand years of Chinese martial arts. Women, children, the elderly, monks, and Taoists have always been the most troublesome people in the martial arts world. They are silent until they have the confidence to step into the ring, and they are bound to be strong people with amazing skills. Even if we put aside those legends, you must have heard the story of the Yang family spear, right?”

The Yang Family Spear – many people, upon hearing this name, think of the Yang family generals of the Northern Song Dynasty, believing it to be a martial art passed down by Yang Ye, Yang Zongbao, or even the female generals of the Yang family. However, while the Yang Family Spear was indeed created by a woman, it has nothing to do with the Yang family generals of the Northern Song Dynasty. Instead, it originated from Yang Miaozhen, a remarkable woman from the late Southern Song Dynasty.

Yang Miaozhen, known as "Fourth Sister" and called "Auntie" in the army, was the female leader of the Red Turban Army, a rebel force in northern China during the late Song Dynasty. Her life was marked by hardship; she followed her brother and husband across the land, fighting against the Mongol, Jin, and Southern Song armies. Her spear technique was exceptionally skilled; even the *History of the Song Dynasty* records that she was "unrivaled in the world for twenty years with the Pear Blossom Spear." The Yang Family Spear, passed down through her, is considered the finest spear technique. Qi Jiguang, a Ming Dynasty general and top martial arts master, clarified the origins of the Yang Family Spear in his *New Book of Military Tactics*, stating that "the Yang Family Spear is unpredictable and infinitely magical, admired throughout the world."

Fan Haiwang's recounting of Yang Miaozhen's story was a warning to Li Haiwang not to underestimate female martial artists, as they too possessed the potential to reach the pinnacle. Yang Miaozhen was a figure recorded in official history, a legend in the martial arts world a thousand years ago. Li Haiwang, having been reprimanded by his elder brother, could not retaliate. Each brother harboring their own thoughts, they fell silent, awaiting Haiwang's assessment three days later.

As for the main character, Kanon, after a long day of activities and a hearty meal, she had just showered at the hotel and fell asleep with the TV on. The conspiracies and schemes against her? She didn't take them to heart at all…

Author's Note: Ahem, it's only natural for Hanon to sleep after eating... Fan Haiwang's part has been resolved... right?

Section 391, Chapter 385: New Year, Sea King's Assessment

Three days passed quickly, including New Year's Day. Unfortunately, Huayin's current special status meant that she was followed by people from the Martial Arts Province wherever she went, so she couldn't enjoy herself to the fullest. In the end, she only watched the fireworks display and had a big meal at the scenic area on the mountain, and spent the rest of the time playing video games in her room.

However, there was also something to be happy about. The Gregorian New Year is a time when the whole world celebrates together. On this special day, many of the friends that Kanon had met in the past year sent her greetings, which really touched Kanon deeply.

Uncle Kiriki Takakaze and Hanon video chatted for a while. Hanon couldn't tell him she was involved in the Martial Arts Province's mess, so she pretended to be traveling in a scenic area. The old butler, Ito, helplessly covered for her. Kiriki trusted the old butler completely and had no suspicions. He even reminded Hanon to be careful and not to get an upset stomach.

Miho also video-chatted with Kanon. The girl was still busy; as the president, she wouldn't be back to manage company affairs until the end of the year, and there was a huge backlog! Even worse, news spread that "President Suo has started working," and companies large and small, both inside and outside the Kengan Association, were flocking to her, offering all sorts of cooperation intentions and requests for favors. This left Miho, essentially a business novice, overwhelmed and completely stressed. The two exchanged some sweet nothings, and for the rest of the time, Kanon patiently listened to Miho's complaints…

The girls at Mr. Shirogane's gym also sent their blessings. On New Year's Eve, after listening to the traditional Japanese New Year's song and dance performance, the Red and White Song Festival, a few of the female students spontaneously went to visit a shrine. During the visit, Gina even did a trendy live stream for Kanon to watch... It turned out that the priest of the Masahira Shrine was Coach Machiyuki, whose hometown was in this line of work. So, thanks to high technology, thanks to 4G networks, and thanks to CCTV, Kanon, who was far away across the ocean, also experienced the visual pollution of a group of muscular men collectively having their clothes ripped off. This feeling was all too familiar.

On New Year's Day, the girls, bored during their holiday, strolled around and started livestreaming for Kanon again in a small park. There, they encountered Coach Machio and… Toshio Ozu once more. Coach Ozu usually seemed normal, but once he started explaining muscle movements, the style immediately became cringe-worthy. So, thank goodness for high technology, thank goodness for 4G, thank goodness for CCTV—Kanon went blind again…

At Tsurumine Academy, it was Kanon who took the initiative to send a blessing text message to Grandma Mifune, and also sent one to everyone else.

At Deimon High School, Hiruma wouldn't bother sending Kanon a blessing out of boredom. Kurita and Musashi did send messages, and Kanon also sent greetings to a few of her classmates. Then, from the replies, she learned that the masked man who mysteriously disappeared after the Christmas bowl incident, Eyespeed 23, had been made into a giant snowman and piled up at the school gate as a school hero.

Oni-O-Zan sent another message, again conveying the invitation from Kinryu-Zan Yokozuna of the Sumo Association to meet and discuss martial arts. That guy is really persistent… Oni-O-Zan's message also revealed that because of Kinryu-Zan's interest in Kanon, many high-ranking wrestlers in the Sumo Association have become restless and interested in her. Even Koji Hanayama, a retired Yokozuna whom Oni-O-Zan greatly respects, wants to meet her. Ahem, Kanon simply replied: "No way!"

The wrestling association also had a performance on New Year's Eve, and Hanon sent her greetings in advance. As a result, she received a bunch of match videos sent back by Uncle Guanlin that night...

Others, such as Adam, Imai Kosou, President Hiyama of Wakasakura Life, Chairman Shion of Imperial Sakura Academy, and President Uwata of Penasonic, all exchanged messages with Kanon. There was also Izumi Hatsukami, that frivolous guy who somehow got Kanon's phone number and sent her a message that looked like a mass text message... Ugh.

What's rather unusual is Tokita Ohma, who actually sent Kanon a text message, much to Kanon's surprise: "This guy has learned to send messages to greet people too? I bet President Yamashita was giving him some pointers."

After the final match, Tokita Ohma had been recuperating and recovering from the hidden injuries accumulated over the years. Although Kanon had saved his life, it was surprising that he would think of sending Kanon a New Year's greeting, which made Kanon realize that she hadn't saved the wrong person!

Finally, there was a rather unique message, simply "Happy New Year," but the sender was Wu Jialuo... With mixed feelings, Hana replied with a slightly trembling "Happy New Year," then felt at a loss for words. Jialuo on the other end didn't reply either, probably just as unsure what to say as Hana did.

New Year's Eve was filled with both joy and embarrassment, but overall, Hanon was very happy. Although she was a time traveler, she had personally experienced many things over the past year and formed deep bonds with many, many people!

After the New Year, Kanon will soon face new challenges and new bonds—the Sea King Assessment.

It was the same temple as last time, but this time Hanon was able to go deeper inside. There was a large martial arts arena there, both private and open, which had been set up as the venue for the Sea King Assessment Meeting. It was surrounded by railings, and some banners were hung on the railings, which read "Welcome the leaders of the Northern Martial Arts Province to visit and guide us", "Warmly celebrate the successful convening of the Sea King Assessment Meeting", "Warmly welcome Elder Huang from the Martial Arts Province Headquarters to visit our temple to guide our work", and so on. It was really a traditional feature.

Kanon noticed a banner that read "Welcome Hakurinji Retsu, the Sea King," and a thought struck her: "It seems that the one who claims to be the strongest Sea King has also come."

After Hanon and the others arrived, Butler Ito was led to the stands by the staff. The Fan Haiwang brothers were not there either. Only Elder Yang, that lecherous fat old man, accompanied Hanon, chattering incessantly with instructions.

"Miss Ye, please be extra careful today." Elder Yang, sweating profusely and looking somewhat anxious, said, "In a little while, let's go to the podium to meet the committee members who will be making this evaluation..."

"Hmm." Hua Yin didn't care. Elder Yang looked like he was preoccupied with something, and today's evaluation might be difficult... But Hua Yin was different from him, and different from the Fan Haiwang and Li Haiwang brothers. Elder Yang was hoping that the qualifications of the three Haiwangs of Guangdong would allow him to dominate the martial arts province; Fan Haiwang wanted to see the true strength of Lie Haiwang so he could win the grand arena competition. As for Hua Yin, she had returned to her homeland to see its customs and culture, and at the same time investigate the truth behind her assassination attempt. Accepting the Haiwang's evaluation was somewhat unexpected. If she succeeded, it would be great; if she failed, she wouldn't lose anything.

Well, it seems like Kanon's strategy is to either become the Sea King or go back to the Takakaze family to inherit their three trillion yen fortune...

Elder Yang followed them to the platform, where a dozen or so people were scattered about. Fan Haiwang and Li Haiwang were there, and two elderly men were sitting in the middle, presumably the other two elders from the Martial Arts Province. Besides them, there was another person, with muscular build, dark brown skin, and a long braid.

Although this person was not tall, his aura was like a surging river, rolling in. Hua Yin had not felt such a powerful aura for a long time, and she couldn't help but tilt her head back. She heard Elder Yang beside her introduce him: "This is the Fierce Sea King of Bailin Temple in Heilongjiang."

Author's Note: Uh, I'm a little late because of something. Sorry. Retsu Kaioh has appeared, but his main storyline is yet to come.

Section 392, Chapter 386: Passing Three Tests

Facing this renowned figure from the martial arts world, Hua Yin extended her hand in a friendly manner: "Hello, I am Ye Hua Yin. I have long admired the name of King Lie Hai. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Retsu Kaioh looked calmly at Kanon, remained silent for several seconds, and then reached out and shook hands with her before Kanon could feel awkward. Hmm, the grip was very firm, not just perfunctory.

"Ye Yangwang, I've heard a bit about your affairs. It's a good thing that Japanese martial arts have returned to their ancestral roots. Please do your best later."

"Hiss—" Hanon gasped. Although this Retsukai-oh hadn't been rude, his tone suggested he wasn't too fond of her since she had returned from Japan.

Although she only stayed for a few days, Hua Yin could clearly sense that the Chinese Martial Arts Province held a generally dismissive and contemptuous attitude towards foreign martial arts. While they acknowledged the strength of some top experts, they still had absolute confidence in the foundation of Chinese martial arts. This Lie Haiwang, though a renowned top figure, did not transcend sectarian prejudice; or rather, as a representative of the Chinese Martial Arts Province, he was the epitome of this bias.

Since Lie Haiwang was so difficult to deal with, Hua Yin didn't want to talk to him much for the time being. Just then, Elder Yang was also afraid of awkwardness, so he pulled Hua Yin to continue introducing the other people: "This is Elder Huang from the headquarters of the Martial Arts Province, and this is Elder Wang, the person in charge of the northern region of the Martial Arts Province."

Like Elder Yang, Huang and Wang were both old men, and both were tall and upright. They were probably martial arts practitioners in their youth. Both of them were bald, except that Elder Wang was taller and wore a hat.

"Greetings, elders." Hua Yin greeted them politely.

"Hmm, Ye Yangwang is truly a woman of exceptional talent and beauty. No wonder she has mastered unparalleled martial arts at such a young age and risen to the rank of Yangwang." Elder Huang from headquarters stroked his beard, while Elder Wang from the north also had a kind and benevolent expression, seemingly pleased to see the birth of a young female powerhouse. But everyone knew that these were also two cunning old foxes with ulterior motives.

Elder Yang got straight to the point: "Old Huang, Old Wang, Miss Ye's sudden emergence is a momentous event for the Chinese martial arts world! What method do you plan to use for the Sea King assessment later? Don't make things too difficult for her."

Elder Wang smiled slightly: "Hey, Elder Yang, what are you saying? Our Martial Arts Province acts impartially. When have we ever shown any bias?"

"Oh no!" Just from hearing Elder Wang address him, Elder Yang knew something was wrong. Sure enough, Elder Huang coughed and said to Hua Yin, "Ye Yangwang, do you know anything about the Sea King assessment?"

Hua Yin nodded. Elder Yang had indeed asked his secretary to make a simple PPT for her a couple of days ago, so she had a concept of the Sea King's assessment: "Accepting the challenge from the Sea King on the spot, hitting the rock, and exerting force, you have to choose one of the three, right?"

“That’s right, these are the three tests.” Elder Huang nodded in agreement, but then added, “However, your situation is a bit special… Ye Yangwang is too young, and he returned from Japan. The way he obtained the title of Yangwang was through a gamble with Li Yangwang, which is really a bit against the rules. Now it’s a new era, and our Martial Arts Province, in the spirit of keeping up with the times, has given Ye Yangwang the green light for promotion. Moreover, after Fan Haiwang and Elder Yang recommended him, they immediately approved an expedited Haiwang assessment, which shows how much importance they attach to it. But it doesn’t matter if the old rules are broken, but we can’t ignore what the public will say. To convince everyone, this Haiwang assessment must be very strict. Ye Yangwang, do you understand?”

Elder Huang's words were quite eloquent and reasonable, and Hua Yin couldn't find any reason to object: "I understand."

Hua Yin didn't care, but Elder Yang was already anxious: "Hey, Lao Huang, what are you doing?"

"It's not about what I want to do, but rather an internal decision of the Martial Arts Province," Elder Huang said. "This time, the Sea King assessment is being handled specially and convened very quickly. All the paperwork can be slowed down, but the assessment itself must be extremely rigorous. In previous years, we had to choose one from three rounds, but now all three rounds are being conducted simultaneously: first, rock striking; then, power exertion; and finally, the challenge against the Foreign King. Does the Foreign King Ye have confidence?"

"Huh? Passed three trials in a row?" Elder Yang was furious. "Each of these three trials is difficult, let alone all at once! Even if she can successfully break the rock, will she have any strength left when she exerts it? Even if she passes the trial of exerting her strength, can she withstand the endless barrage of attacks from the foreign kings here?"

"Elder Yang, what are you saying?" Elder Wang stopped the enraged Elder Yang. "These three trials are indeed difficult, but they are not enough to pose a challenge to a true Sea King! If Ye Yangwang cannot pass all three trials, doesn't that just mean that her strength is at most slightly stronger than an ordinary Sea King, and not enough to earn the title of Sea King?"

Elder Yang was rebuffed, and Elder Huang then concluded definitively: "Among the three elders, the minority must obey the majority. Elder Wang and I have already reached an agreement, Elder Yang, you just need to cooperate. Just because Ye Yang is a martial artist from the South, does that mean you will show favoritism?"

"You!" Elder Yang thought to himself, "You're the ones who're being biased!" Elder Wang must have ceded countless benefits to Elder Huang to secure the latter's support and prevent the birth of Guangdong's third "Sea King." But the two-on-one situation was already clear; saying anything more was pointless. They could only hope that Ye Huayin would truly deliver and pass all three trials.

Elder Yang looked at Hua Yin pitifully: "Miss Ye..."

"Uh, I will try my best." Hua Yin was helpless. Elder Yang was also a terrible guy. She didn't feel forced or anything, so how did she end up being used as a bargaining chip by the three old foxes?

Staff immediately led Hanon to the rest room to prepare, and she changed into a comfortable martial arts outfit—the kind that uncles and aunts in the park do Tai Chi. About half an hour later, someone informed Hanon that she could go on stage.

Taking a deep breath, Hanon stepped into the training ground.

The surrounding noise suddenly increased. A temporary viewing platform had been set up beside the training ground, where nearly a thousand monks sat to watch and also served as laborers. In addition, there were a couple hundred men and women on the platform, who were staff members of the martial arts province and foreign dignitaries who had come from all over the country. As for the "Sea Kings," in addition to Lie Haiwang, Fan Haiwang, and Li Haiwang, Sun Haiwang of Jilin Jiequan Dao and Mao Haiwang of Hebei Shourouquan were also present. However, the Sea Kings held a high status and were seated directly on the main platform.

This feels... a bit like going back to the elimination rounds.

Hanon had already done some warm-up exercises in the lounge, and was now just smiling and waving to the stands, while the crowd in the stands were also observing Hanon.

"That's Ye Yangwang...so young, so, so beautiful!"

"I heard she's still a minor. It's amazing that a woman can become a 'sea king'!"

"Pah! Do you look down on us women? There have been female sea queens in history! Yang Miaozhen of the Southern Song Dynasty was invincible, and she was also the Sea Empress!"

"Hmph, she learned martial arts in Japan, what qualifications does she have to compare with the ancestors of the Yang family spear technique?"

"But she seems to be some kind of fighting champion from Japan."

"There are many fighting champions, I've even won a few myself, the key is the weight class."

"However, I heard from a friend that when Ye Yangwang took the title of Yangwang from Li Yangwang, he acted like an immortal..."

Amidst the clamor of discussion, Hanon walked toward her first trial—a large rock.

Author's Note: The Sea King Trials weren't mentioned, so this is just a summary I made myself. In the original work, the Sea King's skill level is incredibly low, so these trials need to be more considerate of their abilities; it can't be said that only Retsu can pass them… As for Kanon, she actually has to pass more than three trials, so please read on…

Section 393, Chapter 387: Kanon, the Bead-Making Tool

Although it has been said since ancient times that there is no first place in literature but no second place in martial arts, judging the level of martial arts skills outside of one-on-one combat is still a difficult task. What standard should be used? Is it how much weight can be lifted? What kind of blows can be withstood? Or what kind of target can be destroyed?

Regarding the level of skill, each school and sect has its own evaluation method. The Martial Arts Province has spent thousands of years summarizing and simplifying the complex to form a set of relatively credible criteria, among which the most recognized is rock striking.

Rock-breaking, as the name suggests, involves martial artists using their bare hands and feet to strike and shape rocks into spheres. The rocks are very hard, and injuries and bleeding will occur during the process. However, when strength, speed, or skill reaches a certain level, highly skilled martial artists can always find a way to complete this challenge. For top masters, rocks are practically as easy to cut as tofu.

What Hanon is facing now is a rock taller than herself, just an ordinary stone dug from the mountain. It is certainly not as hard as steel, but it is by no means as soft and brittle as limestone.

Hanon has to look up to see the whole stone, and her task is to polish the stone to be as smooth as possible.

Before the event began, staff from the Martial Arts Department acted as emcees, creating a lively atmosphere: "Welcome everyone! Today, we will witness another grand event in Chinese martial arts! Ms. Ye Huayin, the current 'Yang King,' will challenge for the title of 'Sea King.' This is her evaluation test! As we all know, Ms. Ye's promotion to 'Yang King' was very recent. Therefore, in accordance with the principles of fairness and impartiality, the Martial Arts Department requires her to pass all three 'Sea King' tests simultaneously, ensuring everyone is convinced of her abilities. Now, we will enjoy Ms. Ye's rock-breaking performance!"

Then the host asked Hanon, "Ye Yangwang, may I ask what your school of martial arts is...?"