Chapter 121: Feng Ruyun Applies for Graduation, Making Way for the Chosen One!

Chapter 121: Feng Ruyun Applies for Graduation, Making Way for the Prodigy!

Dead silence.

Like the eternal, heart-stopping absolute stillness ten thousand meters beneath the ocean.

Everyone was like a duck with its neck squeezed, staring blankly at the young man on the arena who slowly withdrew his spear and stood tall, and at Feng Ruyun’s bewilderment and bitterness as he dissolved into specks of light.

Minds, utterly blank.

What had they witnessed?

A… one-sided, utterly predictable, even “bullying”… crushing.

One of the top strongest in the senior year, with dual perfected killing techniques and a life force index already surpassing 30.0, Feng Ruyun, before that newcomer king from a year ago who had only returned for three days, couldn’t even mount a single decent counterattack.

This had completely overturned their understanding of the word “strength.”

This dead silence lasted for a full half minute.

Finally, like the first crack appearing on a frozen lake, a solitary, trembling bullet comment floated out.

Then came an avalanche, a tsunami, an accumulated, unparalleled shock that exploded into overwhelming text, detonating with a roar!

Freshman discussion forum.

Here, the first eruption was pure, unadorned awe and worship.

“I… holy crap, it’s over already?”

“What just happened? Are my eyes playing tricks? Senior Feng Ruyun… seemed to be getting beaten the whole time?”

“Is this the legendary Senior Qin Feng?! This is… too strong! That’s Senior Feng Ruyun!”

“Senior Feng didn’t even force out his ultimate move!”

“So strong! Freaking awesome! From today, Senior Qin Feng is my one and only god! Anyone disagree?!”

A year ago, they knew nothing of the name “Qin Feng.”

But now, in just one minute, that name had been branded into the depths of every soul in the most domineering, unreasonable way, becoming synonymous with “invincible.”

Compared to the freshmen’s frenzy, the sophomores, amid their shock, felt a strange, “I knew it” kind of relief.

“I knew it… I knew it would be like this! That freak never lets us down!”

“A year gone, and he’s become even more of a freak!”

“The scariest part is his strength and speed! Both at thirty life force index, but the performance data is worlds apart.”

Unlike the underclassmen’s shock, those who had once competed with Feng Ruyun at the same level, even been personally “taught” by him, reacted with nothing but endless terror and existential doubt.

[Li Daoyi]: “…I take back what I said. This isn’t a ‘variable’ anymore. This is… a dimensionality reduction strike.”

[Zhao Wuji]: “Ruyun… lost without injustice. If I had gone up, the result would be no different. We, and him, are no longer on the same level of strength.”

“To have cultivated a killing technique to the ‘Mastery’ realm at the third-level martial artist stage. Extremely rare.”

“I fought Feng Ruyun a few days ago; I lasted three minutes under him, and his Blazing Flame Blade nearly shattered my martial heart.”

Just as the entire viewing channel was sinking into deeper shock over such a victory, a pinned, highlighted explanatory long post appeared, published by an anonymous ID with an IP address showing the mentor’s office area, offering the most authoritative answers to everyone’s confusion.

[Explanatory Long Post: “On the True Value of the ‘Mastery Realm’ and Why It Is Called the ‘Starting Point of Legends’”]

“Seeing everyone discussing so fervently, this old man about to retire thought he’d join in and explain to you students what the ‘Mastery Realm’ truly means.”

“First, you must understand that the four realms—Entry, Minor Success, Major Success, and Perfection—are essentially about ‘learning’ and ‘imitating.’ You learn the most perfect moves and force techniques created by predecessors. Whoever ‘imitates’ best has the higher realm.”

“The ‘Mastery Realm,’ however, is an entirely different dimension. It means you no longer need to ‘imitate.’ You have thoroughly, completely comprehended the core essence and underlying logic of that killing technique. You can freely dismantle, reassemble, evolve, and even integrate the essence of other techniques into it.”

“Simply put, reaching the ‘Mastery Realm’ means that this predecessor-created killing technique has become your own ‘material library.’ You can use these materials to create a truly unique combat system that belongs only to you. What Classmate Qin Feng just displayed seemed like basic moves, but in reality, each move was a ‘created’ response tailored to the battle situation. That is ‘Mastery.’”

“Second, its difficulty. I can clearly tell you that since Qiming No.1 High School was founded, there is no recorded student who has cultivated any killing technique to the ‘Mastery Realm’ during their school years. Classmate Qin Feng is the first in history.”

“Even across the entire empire, the vast majority of seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-level high-level martial artists may spend their entire lives without reaching the ‘Mastery Realm’ for a top-tier killing technique. This requires not just effort, but that elusive thing called ‘insight’ and ‘talent.’”

“…”

This explanatory long post struck like a heavy hammer, pounding into everyone’s heart.

So, the “Mastery Realm” was truly so unattainably high!

Today, they had witnessed the birth of school history!

…

B-17 private martial arts room.

Qin Feng’s consciousness returned. He looked at Sun He, standing beside him, who had also just exited the viewing mode with a trace of shock and ecstasy on his face, and smiled.

“Thanks, junior.”

Sun He snapped back to reality, faced Qin Feng, and with utmost solemnity, clasped his fists and bowed deeply.

His voice trembled with gratitude.

“I, Sun He, will remember this favor. In the future, if you ever need anything from me, just say the word. Even if it means walking through fire or treading on blades, I won’t even frown!”

He knew that this battle by Qin Feng had not only awakened Feng Ruyun but also preserved the fragile brotherhood between him and Feng Ruyun.

“Senior, you’re too kind.”

Qin Feng waved his hand and helped him up.

“No, I mean it!”

Sun He’s gaze was unwavering. “I, Sun He, keep my word!”

He paused, then added, “I’ll go find Ruyun now. He must be feeling terrible.”

“Go ahead.” Sun He thanked him again, then hurriedly turned and left.

…

In another private martial arts room belonging to Feng Ruyun.

Feng Ruyun sat on the floor, utterly dejected, staring blankly at the virtual screen before him.

On the screen, the recording of his just-finished battle was playing on a loop.

Once, twice, ten times, a hundred times…

The longer he watched, the more completely his pride crumbled.

Sun He sat quietly beside him, saying nothing, not disturbing him, only silently pouring him a cup of hot tea.

No one knew how long passed—maybe ten minutes, maybe an hour.

Feng Ruyun finally turned off the screen.

He lifted his head, and on that face once full of confidence and pride, there was now only endless bitterness.

“I lost… without injustice.”

He spoke slowly, his voice hoarse.

“First, with nearly identical life force indices, his strength, speed, and endurance far surpass mine. This is a gap in physical potential. My body, before his inhuman talent, is like clay.”

"Secondly..."

He paused, an even more bitter expression spreading across his face.

"Two... killing arts at the 'Mastery' realm. This... this is just too absurd."

The Mastery realm.

That term, to him, was like something from another dimension.

It was so distant, so arduous, so impossibly hard that he had never even entertained the thought that one day he might strive for that realm.

He would rather spend more time learning another perfected killing art to broaden his scope, than ever dare to hope that he could, in depth, touch that domain called "Mastery."

Because he knew his own limits.

That realm was so difficult that he didn't even have the thought of "achieving" it.

Yet Qin Feng, a junior who enrolled two years after him, had done it.

And not just one—two!

Thinking back to a year ago, that youth who couldn't even last eight seconds under his hands.

Then recalling that figure just moments ago, who toyed with him like a god or demon.

Feng Ruyun could only let out a powerless, awe-filled sigh in his heart.

"A monster, he truly is... a monster."

Sun He still said nothing, merely listening quietly.

Feng Ruyun fell silent for a long while again, then slowly turned his head to look at Sun He and asked, "A He, for the top hundred elite interstellar martial arts universities in the Canaan Galaxy, how much time is left until their special recruitment assessments end?"

"Sixty-three imperial standard hours," Sun He replied immediately.

"Sixty-three hours... that's still enough time."

A glimmer of light rekindled in Feng Ruyun's eyes.

He let out a long, deep breath, as if shedding a burden of a thousand pounds.

He looked at Sun He, a relieved smile spreading across his face.

"A He, I was wrong about you before."

"'Qiming Star General,' I won't contend for it anymore."

With that, he stood up, opened his terminal, and without a moment's hesitation, submitted his graduation application.

...

A few hours later.

A piece of news shocking enough to shake the entire Qiming First High School rapidly exploded across the campus forum.

[Breaking! The strongest seniors, Feng Ruyun, Li Daoyi, and Zhao Wuji, simultaneously submit graduation applications, officially withdrawing from this year's 'Qiming Star General' competition!]

This news, like a deep-water bomb, plunged the already boiling forum into utter frenzy.

Every discerning person knew what this meant.

This was no coincidence.

These three titans, standing at the very pinnacle of the senior pyramid, after witnessing Qin Feng's overwhelming, chasm-like strength, had unanimously made the most rational and wisest choice.

They knew they couldn't compete.

Since they couldn't compete, they wouldn't.

Rather than stay and become a tragic foil, a green leaf setting off the red flower, it was better to leave gracefully, catch the last train, and fight for a better future for themselves.

This news gave every student in the school a new, revolutionary understanding of Qin Feng's power.

He had become so strong that all the geniuses of his era willingly made way for him!

(The chapter ends)