Chapter 105: Meeting Zhou Heyuan Again, the Shock of the Rookie King

Chapter 105: Encounter with Zhou Heyuan Again, The Shock of the Rookie King

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The next morning.

Qin Feng arrived punctually at the top-floor terrace of the North Crown Tower.

Lin Yue was already waiting there. Today, she wore no power armor, but a sleek black combat suit that accentuated her tall, powerful figure.

Beside her stood a sleek, silver small aircraft, exuding a sci-fi aesthetic.

“Let’s go.”

Lin Yue’s words were brief as she stepped into the aircraft first.

The interior of the aircraft was small, with only four seats.

After Lin Yue set the destination, it switched to autopilot, silently lifting off, turning into a streak of silver light, and vanishing into the sky.

“The Qiming Thunder Pool is both a perilous place and a treasure trove on Qiming Star,” Lin Yue began explaining to Qin Feng inside the aircraft.

“It sits atop Qiming’s highest peak, Thunder Mountain, at an altitude of 8,900 meters. It’s perpetually shrouded by violent thunderclouds. Only during the seven days each month when the magnetic field is most stable can one enter safely.”

“Within the Thunder Pool, over countless years of thunderous tempering, vast amounts of natural ‘Thunder Crystals’ have formed. Thunder Crystals are the product of psychic energy converging in a special sequence under extreme high pressure and unique magnetic fields. Their energy is incredibly violent, capable of directly acting on the deepest genetic structures of living beings, purifying impurities and enhancing potential. For martial artists, they are supreme treasures for refining physical aptitude.”

“This stuff must be very precious, right?” Qin Feng asked.

“Of course,” Lin Yue nodded. “A ticket to the Qiming Thunder Pool costs ten million Imperial credits plus three hundred Imperial contribution points at the official exchange. Usually, powerful martial artists buy them for the most outstanding younger members of their families.”

Ten million Imperial credits plus three hundred contribution points!

Qin Feng’s heart tightened. He didn’t need to think twice to know that Imperial contribution points were far harder to obtain than Imperial credits. This opportunity was worth far more than he had imagined.

As they spoke, the aircraft had already reached its destination.

Looking out through the porthole, a magnificent vista unfolded before his eyes.

Endless snow-capped mountains spread out beneath them like a silver ocean.

At the edge of the horizon, a colossal peak, beyond words to describe its grandeur, stood like a sword piercing the heavens, thrusting straight into the clouds.

At the peak’s summit, thick, ink-black thunderclouds churned, with electric serpents writhing and purple lightning flashing intermittently, as if gods or demons were roaring within, exuding a terrifying aura of utter destruction.

The aircraft descended slowly, landing outside a large camp at the base of Thunder Mountain.

Stepping out, a thin air mixed with the scent of ice, snow, and ozone rushed toward him.

Qin Feng gazed up at the thundercloud-shrouded peak, feeling the vast pressure of nature itself, and couldn’t help but sigh.

“Nature’s craftsmanship is truly unmatched.”

Lin Yue stood beside him, hearing this, and gave a faint smile.

“When you truly set foot in the starry sea in the future, you’ll see wonders even more magnificent than this.” Her gaze seemed to pierce through the clouds, looking into the endless deep space. “The dreamlike beauty of the Creation Nebula, the twisted spacetime of black hole mirrors, the feast of light and heat from supernova explosions… The universe’s marvels far exceed your imagination.”

“Mm.” Qin Feng nodded firmly, his eyes filled with longing.

Lin Yue led him past the fully armed staff at the camp entrance, where they verified their identities and ticket information before smoothly entering the camp.

Inside the camp, quite a few people had already gathered—at least over a hundred at a rough glance.

They were clearly divided into dozens of small groups.

Each group consisted of one or two high-level martial artists with unfathomable auras, accompanied by one or several young boys and girls.

Those high-level martial artists exuded a powerful pressure in every move they made.

But Qin Feng could sense that most of them were far weaker than Teacher Lin Yue.

The young boys and girls brought along had wildly varying strengths.

The strongest had a life force index barely reaching 20.0.

Most hovered around 10.0, and a few even seemed to be at only the first-level martial artist level.

Some were students from other martial arts high schools on Qiming Star, while others had already graduated and came with their parents.

“Any student from Qiming No.1 High School, taken out alone, is an absolute standout among their peers.”

For the first time, Qin Feng had such an intuitive understanding of his school’s strength.

As he observed his surroundings, a voice tinged with surprise and uncertainty suddenly came from not far away.

“Qin… Qin Feng?” Qin Feng followed the sound and saw a familiar face. He was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile.

It was his middle school classmate, Zhou Heyuan.

Zhou Heyuan now stood with several young boys and girls of similar age.

He had grown much taller and sturdier than in middle school, his face bearing the maturity of one who had weathered storms—clearly, he was already a martial artist who had been on the battlefield and even killed creatures.

Seeing Qin Feng, Zhou Heyuan was stunned for a moment, then, confirming he wasn’t mistaken, rushed over with immense joy.

“Qin Feng! Damn! It really is you!”

He gave Qin Feng a big bear hug, his face full of the joy of reunion.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhou Heyuan pulled Qin Feng over and excitedly introduced him to his companions: “See! I told you I wasn’t bragging! This is the guy I was telling you about—our middle school classmate, the ‘Rookie King’ of this year’s Qiming Star Inter-School League—Qin Feng!”

The young boys and girls behind him all showed looks of shock and admiration.

“Holy crap! Heyuan, he really is your classmate! I thought you were just showing off!” one boy exclaimed.

“An idol! I’m seeing a living idol!” a girl’s eyes sparkled, her face flushed with excitement.

Listening to his companions’ exclamations, Zhou Heyuan’s face beamed with immense pride. He laughed heartily, slapping Qin Feng’s shoulder hard. “I told you, I, Zhou Heyuan, never lie! The Qiming Rookie King is my classmate! Back in the day, when our life force indices were still under 1.0, we trained together at the Limit Martial Arts Hall!”

After showing off, he looked at Qin Feng with eager anticipation and asked, “By the way, Qin Feng, how strong are you now? Let me tell you, I’ve made huge progress these past two months—my life force index is already at 8.9!”

Seeing his expression begging for praise, Qin Feng smiled and said, “Not bad. Under 20.0.”

“…”

The smile on Zhou Heyuan’s face instantly froze.

His eyes widened as if he had heard some incredible tale, and he stammered, “Under… under twenty? You mean like 19-point-something?!”

“Mm.”

Their conversation, neither too loud nor too soft, clearly reached the ears of everyone nearby.

In an instant, the entire camp—dozens of small groups—turned their gazes in unison, all focusing on Qin Feng.

“Is that the ‘Qiming Newcomer King’ Qin Feng?”

“I heard he came from a humble background, no connections at all, climbed up entirely on his own—what a ruthless one!”

“In less than four months, from an ordinary freshman to someone who can beat top sophomores, and now his vitality index is nearly 20.0… This talent is terrifying.”

Admiration, curiosity, scrutiny, envy… all kinds of looks interwove.

Many high-level martial artists who had brought their own children unceremoniously used Qin Feng as a live example.

“Look at him! Then look at you! How many resources have we fed you since you were little? And now your vitality is only this much? Aren’t you ashamed?”

“Learn from him! This is true genius! It’s all his own effort and struggle, not relying on family!”

“If you had even half of Qin Feng’s effort, you’d be a second-level martial artist by now! All you do is slack off every day!”

For a moment, the camp echoed with scoldings of “disappointment in one’s failure to live up to expectations,” making those once-spirited “martial second-generation” youths lower their heads one after another, looking with both awe and fear at the calm young man surrounded by the crowd.

They had all watched the Qiming School League and knew well how terrifying Qin Feng was.

Not to mention anything else, among the young men and women present, few had even achieved minor mastery in killing techniques, while Qin Feng had already reached major mastery during the league!

—

Just as the camp stirred with commotion over Qin Feng’s appearance, a staff member in a silver-gray uniform, with a steady demeanor, walked to the high platform at the center of the camp.

His voice reached everyone’s ears clearly.

“Everyone, please be quiet. I am the person in charge of this Qiming Thunder Pool opening. Before the Thunder Pool officially opens, I need to explain several crucial points to you.”

The originally noisy camp instantly fell silent. Everyone turned their eyes to the platform.

“Shortly, after the magnetic field at the peak of Thunder Mountain stabilizes and the thunderclouds dissipate, designated guides will lead all trial participants who have entry qualifications to climb Thunder Mountain and enter the Qiming Thunder Pool.”

“I need to emphasize the first point, and the most important one.”

The staff member’s tone turned extremely serious. “The ‘Thunder Crystals’ in the Qiming Thunder Pool contain extremely violent energy. Each trial participant has different physical constitutions and mental wills, so the number of Thunder Crystals they can withstand varies completely. During the absorption process, if you feel that your body or mind has reached its limit and can no longer persist, you must immediately inform the guide beside you! They will promptly take you out of the Thunder Pool. Remember, immediately! Otherwise, irreversible damage or even life-threatening danger may occur!”

His sharp gaze swept over every young man and woman present, repeatedly emphasizing: “This is not a joke. Overestimating yourself in the Thunder Pool is equivalent to suicide!”

This stern warning caused many young faces present to instinctively tense up. The ease and relaxation on their faces vanished, replaced by a solemn expression.

Then, the staff member pointed to a massive black stone tablet over ten meters tall beside the camp.

The tablet was carved entirely from an unknown rock, its surface smooth as a mirror, appearing ancient and solemn against the snowy backdrop.

On the stone tablet, countless golden names were densely engraved, along with numbers following each name.

(End of this chapter)