Chapter 114: Realm of Control

Chapter 114: The Realm of Mastery

Three months later, in the Meat Grinder-03 war zone, a destroyed greenskin outpost.

Qin Feng’s figure, like a phantom, darted at high speed through a ruin of vehicle wreckage.

Ahead of him, a secondary armored greenskin over three meters tall swung a massive chainsword, forcing two human martial artists into a steady retreat.

The attacks of those two fighters landed on the greenskin’s thick armor, only to spark a cascade of flashes, failing to inflict any real damage.

“Flank! Its flank joints are the weak point!”

One of the fighters roared.

At that moment, Qin Feng moved.

He did not choose to strike from the flank. Instead, with an unstoppable momentum, he charged head-on from the front, straight at the secondary greenskin!

His footwork was [Fierce Bird Step]!

Aggressive and predatory!

“Waaagh!”

The secondary greenskin spotted him, bellowed, abandoned its two opponents, and swung the massive chainsword down at Qin Feng’s head!

Facing a blow that could split mountains and shatter rocks, Qin Feng did not dodge!

His eyes were sharp as an eagle’s!

Just as the chainsword was about to land, his body suddenly dropped low. The spear in his hand, at an impossible angle, tore upward through the air like the claw of a raptor!

This thrust carried neither the swiftness of [Flowing Light Chasing Shadows] nor the weight of [Ten Thousand Troops Yield].

Instead, it fused the core killing move of [Fierce Bird Fist]—[Savage Owl Strike]—the intent to pierce through all and tear apart everything, perfectly into the spear’s tip!

Using the spear as a fist!

“Pfft—!”

A grating sound of metal being pierced and torn rang out.

The alloy spear in Qin Feng’s hand, without resistance, punched straight through the thickest alloy armor on the secondary greenskin’s chest, emerging from its back!

The massive body of the secondary greenskin froze.

It looked down, incredulous at the huge hole in its chest, then its life force quickly faded, and it crashed to the ground.

One strike, instant kill!

Qin Feng slowly withdrew his spear, gazing at the smoking corpse, his heart filled with emotion.

When he first set foot on this battlefield, his full-strength thrust had only left a shallow white mark on the armor of such a secondary greenskin.

Now, he could effortlessly pierce it through.

…

Six months later, a swampy area covered by greenskin fungal mats.

“WAAAGH!”

Three tertiary armored greenskins, each nearly five meters tall and resembling mobile fortresses, formed a triangle, surrounding a tiny figure in their midst.

Their roars shook the entire swamp.

Three massive weapons, forged from railway tracks, ship anchors, and engines, descended with world-ending force from three different directions, all aimed at Qin Feng in the center!

They sealed off every escape route!

Facing this deadly trap, Qin Feng’s face showed no panic.

His eyes were calm as an abyss.

Just as the three giant weapons were about to converge, his feet alternated between [Wandering Dragon Step] and [Fierce Bird Step]—two completely different footwork styles—in a near-perfect rhythm!

His figure sometimes flowed like a dragon in water, seamless and smooth, slipping through the gap between two weapons by a hair’s breadth; sometimes it darted like a bird of prey, suddenly accelerating, escaping just before another weapon struck.

He was like an artist dancing on a blade’s edge, weaving and dodging with ease under the furious assault of three behemoths.

The spear in his hand no longer sought a single lethal blow; instead, it struck like a hornless dragon, leaving no trace.

Each thrust precisely targeted the joints, visual sensors, or energy conduits of the three greenskins’ armor.

Though unable to inflict fatal damage, every attack effectively slowed their movements and disrupted their rhythm.

He was biding his time.

Alone, he fought three tertiary armored greenskins—each once capable of killing him in one blow—and held his ground!

The battle lasted nearly half an hour. The three greenskins could not even touch a corner of Qin Feng’s clothing. Instead, they were driven into a frenzy by his harassment, roaring in impotent rage.

Finally, after exhausting much of their stamina, Qin Feng seized an opportunity. He feinted, turned his body into a streak of light, and retreated unscathed from the battle, vanishing into the distant forest.

Deep in the forest, Qin Feng leaned against a giant fungal plant, calming his slightly rapid breath, his heart equally full of emotion.

Just over half a year ago, when he first arrived on this battlefield, facing a single such tertiary armored greenskin had left him severely wounded, utterly defenseless.

Now, his life force index had risen, his killing techniques had advanced rapidly, and he could calmly contend with three such armored greenskins.

Though killing them remained extremely difficult.

But this immense progress was real!

…

As his strength grew, Qin Feng encountered a new bottleneck.

His [Ten Thousand Troops Spear] and [Fierce Bird Fist] had both reached perfection, and the growth of proficiency had become exceptionally slow.

Routine battles could no longer bring him new insights.

He knew that he was still separated from the legendary “Realm of Mastery” by a thin veil. To pierce that veil required a deeper understanding.

Thus, every time he returned from the battlefield to the space fortress for rest, he spent most of his time seeking knowledge and asking for guidance.

“Teacher Lin, in actual combat, my [Fierce Bird Fist] always feels a bit sluggish in power delivery, unable to achieve true freedom. Where is the problem?”

In the C-709 martial arts room, Qin Feng asked Lin Yue.

Lin Yue said nothing, only replied lightly: “Attack me.”

Then she suppressed her strength to the same level as Qin Feng’s and engaged him in pure fist technique sparring.

Her fists had no fixed forms, but every punch made Qin Feng feel that all his subsequent changes were completely predicted by her.

After one sparring session, Qin Feng was bruised and swollen, but also enlightened, deepening his understanding of fist techniques.

For spear techniques, he connected remotely via the Warp network with his mentor Gu Yue from Qiming First High.

In the friend room of the Imperial Arena, Gu Yue demonstrated the essence of spear techniques over and over, pinpointing the subtle mistakes Qin Feng made in battle—mistakes even he himself hadn’t noticed.

“Your spear is fast enough, fierce enough, and steady enough.”

“But a true master of the spear, when thrusting, does not rely solely on power and technique. It is the union of one’s essence, energy, and spirit.”

…

Under the generous teachings of these two top mentors, Qin Feng’s understanding of martial arts advanced by leaps and bounds.

And Lin Yue, little by little, grew numb to Qin Feng's terrifying rate of resource consumption and his pace of progress.

She had lost count of how many times she had watched him, without changing expression, pour priceless high-grade psionic potions into his mouth as if they were water.

All she could do was sigh to herself, over and over: A monster, truly a monster.

...

Nine months later.

In a fierce battle against an exceptionally powerful third-tier Greenhide "War Boss," Qin Feng was once again pushed to the brink.

The enemy's massive axe, like a small mountain, made every swing feel as though his very blood was boiling.

During a desperate dodge, a sudden flash of insight struck his mind!

The piercing and tearing of the [Fierce Owl Style]!

The swiftness and charge of the [Fierce Bird Body Art]!

The fluidity and deflection of the [Wandering Dragon Body Art]!

The ultimate speed and precision of [Flowing Light Chasing Shadows]!

These four killing techniques and body arts, which he had mastered most thoroughly, at that moment seemed to transform into four threads of different colors, beginning to weave and merge in his mind!

"This is it!"

A light never before seen blazed in Qin Feng's eyes!

The long spear in his hand, at that instant, thrust out with a completely new, unprecedented trajectory!

This thrust had both the swiftness of flowing light and the ferocity of a fierce bird, and midway, the spear carried a hint of the wandering dragon's circular redirection!

"Pfft—!"

A dull thud!

This new killing technique actually managed to just barely pierce the thickest alloy armor on the War Boss's chest!

But it was only a scratch.

The spear tip was stuck fast in the heavy armor, unable to advance another inch.

"Waaagh!"

The War Boss roared in pain, its enormous axe sweeping around with vengeful fury!

"Damn it!"

Qin Feng's face changed. Without hesitation, he immediately released his grip on the spear, turned, and fled without looking back—a single, fluid motion with no delay.

Though humiliating, this moment of enlightenment showed him the hope of breaking through that thin barrier.

...

"Your idea is excellent—melting the essence of different killing methods into one furnace to forge your own path. That is precisely the hallmark of approaching the 'Mastery' realm."

In his friend's room, Mentor Gu Yue gave his approval after hearing Qin Feng's description.

"But the reason you failed is simple. Your foundation is still insufficient."

"All weapons are extensions of fists and palms. Your understanding of the spear is deep enough. But your comprehension of the way of fists and palms has not reached the required level. Hence, your fusion appears so rough and lacks follow-through."

A single word awakened the dreamer.

After returning, Qin Feng sought Lin Yue's guidance once more.

This time, he made a decision that surprised everyone.

He abandoned the spear.

In the battles that followed, he no longer used any weapon. Instead, bare-handed, he deliberately sought out the most troublesome second-tier armored Greenhides, engaging in the most primal, bloodiest close-quarters combat!

With his fists, he felt the hardness of armor.

With his body, he endured the Greenhides' heavy blows.

Qin Feng placed himself in the most dangerous situations, and it was precisely under this extreme pressure that his understanding of the [Fierce Bird Fist Art] deepened at an astonishing speed.

...

(The chapter ends)