Chapter 102: "Thousand Army Spear" Consummation

Chapter 102: "Thousand Army Spear" Perfected

"I lost."

Sun He's voice was a little hoarse, but exceptionally frank.

"I concede defeat willingly. Junior Qin Feng, you... are the most terrifying genius I have ever seen."

He offered no excuses for his failure.

Qin Feng shook his head, his expression calm as he said, "Senior Sun He is too kind. I merely had the advantage of the weapon. A long spear against a short staff inherently has the edge of an inch longer, an inch stronger. If you had used a long staff at the perfected realm, I could never have won."

This was not entirely modesty.

If Sun He had also used a long weapon, Qin Feng's [Thousand Army Guard] would have found it difficult to keep him at a safe distance as easily as before.

Yet, upon hearing this, Sun He let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Junior, you don't need to comfort me."

He waved his hand, "The weapon's advantage was my own choice. When I chose the short staff, I valued its flexibility and close-quarters burst power—that is my martial path. If I had chosen a long staff, I probably wouldn't have even reached minor mastery by now. Losing is losing; I'm just not skilled enough. There's nothing more to say."

He paused, looking at Qin Feng, his eyes turning unusually serious.

"Besides, do you really think you won only because of the weapon?"

"Your strength, your endurance, and your deeply rooted spear technique... these are the keys to your victory. I'm very curious—what exactly is going on with your body? It simply doesn't resemble the qualities of a second-rank martial artist."

Sun He truly couldn't understand.

That endless, seemingly inexhaustible stamina had left an indelible impression on him.

Qin Feng thought for a moment and said calmly, "The reward for being the Freshman King—my physical aptitude improved a bit."

"I see."

Sun He suddenly understood.

The other senior students also had a moment of realization.

But the Freshman King reward was something Qin Feng had fought for and earned himself; it was also part of his own strength.

"Impressive, truly impressive."

Sun He stood up and solemnly clasped his fists toward Qin Feng, "This battle today has taught me a great deal. Thank you for the lesson, junior."

There was no trace of resentment or unwillingness in him; his words and actions were filled with the openness and respect that come from martial artists sparring and seeking understanding.

"You're too kind, senior. I too have gained a lot."

Qin Feng also stood and returned the gesture.

Sun He smiled, patted the shoulders of Feng Ruyun and the others, who were still in shock, and said, "Let's go. Time to work hard. I was feeling a bit smug after breaking through and naturally comprehending the perfected staff technique..."

"Now I'm much more clear-headed. This is a good thing."

Sun He laughed heartily, "Thanks, junior. I'll be off now—back to the training room to practice hard."

"Alright."

Qin Feng nodded slightly.

He too was reviewing his own strength.

A month ago, he couldn't last thirty seconds against Sun He.

Later, after comprehending Thousand Army Guard, his defense became impenetrable, and with the weapon advantage, he could hold out for a minute and a half against Sun He.

At that time, Sun He's staff technique was still at the major mastery level.

Now, facing Sun He with a perfected staff technique, he had achieved victory.

"Against Senior Sun He, my cold weapon advantage played a big role. Moreover, Sun He's vitality index hasn't reached 20.0—it's only around 18.0."

"If I were to fight another senior student with perfected killing techniques and a vitality index at the second-rank martial artist limit of 20.0, I would have no chance of winning."

Qin Feng summarized in his mind: "Raise the vitality index, raise the killing technique realm to perfection! Once these two gaps are closed, I'll be able to fight against the top senior students in the second year."

After every battle, Qin Feng would summarize his strength and the areas he needed to improve, just like this.

To examine oneself thrice daily—this is no different.

——

The commotion in the cafeteria left little ripple in Qin Feng's heart.

For him, the battle with Sun He was more like a precise test of his strength, giving him a clear understanding of his current combat ability.

The three finished their meal and left the cafeteria together.

"Old Qin, that was insane! The forum is blowing up!"

Qian Duoduo was still immersed in immense excitement, waving his arms and spraying spittle.

Shi Potian walked beside him, silent, but his steps were a bit faster than usual.

Clearly, the battle between Qin Feng and Sun He had deeply stirred him.

At the fork in the road before the teaching building, the three parted ways, each heading to their own training grounds.

Qin Feng returned to his private training room, B-17.

Closing the door, he shut out the outside world.

Qin Feng's heart also settled down.

He was not carried away by victory, nor did he bask in the praise from others.

He knew very well that his win over Sun He relied on the physical advantages of the Gold Standard Human II level and the edge of cold weapons.

But in terms of killing technique realm, he still lagged behind the truly top senior students.

He opened his terminal, re-examined and established his training plan—no different from before in the dormitory, only the location had changed to a place with better resources and more privacy.

Morning: practice the "Intermediate Empire Body-Tempering Method," take high-grade spiritual energy potions, maximize the vitality index.

Afternoon: practice killing techniques, engage in high-intensity real combat in the Imperial Arena, hone skills, increase proficiency.

Evening: continue body-tempering practice, and before sleep, practice the "Emperor Meditation Method" to train mental strength.

With the plan set, he immediately put it into action.

Throughout the morning, Qin Feng immersed himself in body-tempering practice. In the abundant spiritual energy environment of the private training room, his training efficiency was even higher than before. At noon, he ended his practice on time and took a high-grade spiritual energy potion.

The vast and pure energy once again surged through his limbs and bones, quickly absorbed and transformed by his terrifyingly efficient body.

[Intermediate Empire Body-Tempering Method Proficiency: +410]

[Name]: Qin Feng

[Vitality Index]: 16.71

A morning of practice, plus a high-grade spiritual energy potion, steadily raised his vitality index by 0.2 points.

If this speed were made known, it would shock any martial arts instructor.

After eating a B-grade energy meal to replenish his body's consumption, Qin Feng returned to the private training room.

Without any slack, he directly lay down in the life-support pod-style seat equipped in the room and linked his consciousness to the subspace network.

After the familiar wave of dizziness passed, he once again arrived at the login screen of the Imperial Arena.

Just as he was about to click "Start Ranked Match," a new system prompt popped up.

[Detected: Your martial rank has been elevated to: Second-Class Warrior.]

[The Imperial Arena has unlocked a higher Vitality Index bracket for you. Please select your match mode:]

[1. Lock Vitality Index: 10.0]

[2. Lock Vitality Index: 20.0]

"Oh?"

Qin Feng stared at this new option, a flicker of contemplation in his eyes.

"What's the difference between locking the Vitality Index at 20.0 and locking it at 10.0?"

The moment his question arose, a detailed explanation automatically appeared on the system interface.

[The Imperial Arena is dedicated to providing all warriors with the fairest and most authentic combat experience. The division of Vitality Index brackets is designed to simulate combat environments under different life levels.]

[The higher the Vitality Index bracket, the higher the martial rank and the level of killing techniques your matched opponents may possess.]

Qin Feng read this description, pondered for a moment, and quickly grasped the key point.

In this vast era of the stars, martial cultivation had a strict hierarchy.

Killing techniques were also graded.

First-grade killing techniques, second-grade killing techniques, third-grade killing techniques—each more exquisite and terrifying than the last.

The Vitality Index, or physical constitution, was the foundation of a killing technique's power.

The higher the grade of the killing technique, the greater the demand on the warrior's own Vitality Index.

At this stage, within the first three martial ranks, the difference was not yet noticeable.

Because whether newcomers or veterans, everyone practiced essentially first-grade killing techniques.

But once the Vitality Index increased and the martial rank rose, the difference became significant.

A simple example: if a sixth-class warrior who had mastered a third-grade killing technique had his Vitality Index forcibly locked at 10.0, then despite his profound understanding of the technique, he would be utterly unable to unleash its true power.

The bracket division of the Imperial Arena was precisely designed to solve this problem.

"I see."

Qin Feng understood. For him, this was a good thing.

Only by fighting stronger opponents could he make faster progress.

Without hesitation, he chose the second option.

[Selected: Lock Vitality Index 20.0 (Advanced Zone)]

[Matching you with an opponent...]

For the rest of the afternoon, Qin Feng completely immersed himself in the high-intensity ranked matches of the 20.0 bracket.

The battles here were indeed far more intense than those in the 10.0 bracket.

The opponents he encountered were incredibly diverse.

Some were young prodigies like him, newly promoted to second-class.

Many were veterans whose original bodies were third-class warriors. Their combat styles were seasoned and ruthless. Even with strength and speed suppressed to the same level, they still caused Qin Feng immense trouble through their rich experience and exquisite techniques.

Qin Feng endured one hard-fought battle after another.

There were victories, and there were defeats.

But like a sponge, he frantically absorbed the experience from every fight. His spear technique, under this high-pressure tempering, grew increasingly refined and condensed.

Thrust, lift, parry, sweep, entangle... these basic moves no longer had fixed forms in his hands. He wielded them effortlessly, each one a lethal strike.

The edge of [Ten Thousand Troops Yield] grew sharper, the defense of [Ten Thousand Troops Guard] became more seamless, and the timing of [Flowing Light Chasing Shadow] grew ever more cunning and vicious.

The afternoon passed in the blink of an eye.

He had played a total of forty-three ranked matches, winning twenty-four and losing nineteen, maintaining a win rate of around 55%.

His Imperial Arena points had steadily risen from just over two hundred to 324.

But the greatest gain was the proficiency of his killing technique.

In one match, fighting to the very last moment against an opponent wielding twin blades, he relied on a masterful parry to deflect the enemy's attack, then followed up with a straight thrust to end the match. At that instant, a profound and mysterious sensation quietly surged within his heart.

[Ding!]

[Your killing technique, "Ten Thousand Troops Spear," after countless refinements, has achieved complete mastery, flowing naturally like water.]

[Current realm elevated to: Perfection!]

The system panel refreshed accordingly.

[Killing Technique]:

Ten Thousand Troops Spear (Perfection)

[Proficiency]: 1 / 100,000

[Effect]: At the current realm, your control over long weapons is greatly enhanced.

(End of this chapter)