Chapter 122: Challenge Recording

Chapter 122: Challenge Left Behind

When the campus clamor was finally replaced by a deeper shock brought by the blockbuster news of "the Big Three graduating early," Qin Feng, the eye of the storm, had already thrown himself back into the monotonous and disciplined cultivation.

Yet, just a few days later, he encountered a new problem he had never considered before.

B-17 Private Martial Arts Room.

Qin Feng, bare-chested, was practicing the *Advanced Empire Body-Tempering Method*.

His one hundred and twenty-seven moves flowed like water, precise and flawless, every detail perfect.

His powerful physique allowed him to effortlessly perform various anti-joint, ultra-limit twists and stretches.

But on his face, there was a trace of helplessness.

After an hour of extreme cultivation, not a single drop of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Inside his body, though spiritual energy surged and power raced, the familiar ache of muscle fibers tearing and bones being squeezed to the limit had vanished.

His body was too strong.

This *Advanced Empire Body-Tempering Method* could no longer effectively stimulate him.

It was like asking a world-class weightlifting champion to lift a fifty-kilogram barbell—no matter how many times he did it, it was only a warm-up, never a true "workout."

To keep progressing, Qin Feng needed a cultivation method for fourth-level martial artists.

He picked up his spear and began practicing his killing techniques.

*Shadow of the Shrieking Harrier*!

A spear light that merged all light and shadow flashed through the martial arts room, striking the red center of the test target ahead with pinpoint accuracy.

No trace was left on the target's surface, as if nothing had happened.

But Qin Feng knew that in that instant, the target's core had been completely annihilated.

His spear technique, his fist technique—both had reached the realm of "mastery."

But that was all.

To truly create a complete killing technique, he needed a vast library of mastered techniques to draw from; two were far from enough.

And now, throughout Qiming No.1 High School, there was no opponent left who could give him enough pressure.

"I wonder what the cultivation of a fourth-level martial artist is really like."

Qin Feng put away his spear.

"According to Teacher Lin Yue, it's about 'opening apertures' related to mental power. But how to open them, what methods to use—I know nothing."

He suddenly realized he had nothing to do.

The body-tempering method had minimal effect.

His killing techniques could make no further progress.

His meditation method proceeded step by step, and there was no rush.

This loneliness of "the heights are too cold" brought him a rare feeling of... boredom.

"Next, I suppose I'll have to wait until I get the 'Qiming War Star' and officially graduate before I can start cultivating again."

"Then... I'll just prepare for the Qiming Inter-School League."

Qin Feng sighed.

He casually opened the private network and matched two games.

His opponents, upon seeing his ID, struggled for a dozen seconds before cleanly surrendering.

Qin Feng closed the private network in frustration.

After a moment's thought, he sent a message to Qian Duoduo, then got up and left the martial arts room, heading to the cafeteria.

When it came to information, Qian Duoduo was definitely the most well-informed person in the entire school.

Qin Feng planned to ask about the top fighters from various schools.

...

At the cafeteria, still by the window seat.

Qin Feng, Qian Duoduo, and Shi Potian gathered again.

Before each of them was a generous B-grade energy meal.

"Old Qin, you're a rare guest! I thought you'd be in seclusion for another ten days or half a month."

Qian Duoduo mumbled, stuffing a piece of meat into his mouth.

"Cultivation has hit a dead end."

Qin Feng said succinctly. "I'm feeling bored now, so I wanted to ask you for detailed information about this Qiming Inter-School League."

"Ha! You've come to the right person!"

Hearing the words "ask for information," Qian Duoduo perked up immediately.

He put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth, cleared his throat, and looked like a storyteller about to begin.

He pulled up his wrist terminal and projected a huge light screen filled with various images and text onto the table.

"Ahem, first, the thing we care about most—the rules for the senior individual competition."

"The rules are pretty much the same as the freshman competition we participated in last year. It's a 1v1 elimination tournament on the arena, fighting all the way to the final champion, the 'Qiming War Star.'"

"But there's one biggest difference."

Qian Duoduo pointed to a line of small text on the light screen and emphasized, "That is, the number of participants is much, much larger than the freshman competition!"

"The freshman competition only involved the top seven 'Seven Great Martial High Schools' of Qiming Star. But the senior competition is open to all martial high schools across Qiming Star! Including second-rate and third-rate schools, as long as their students have a life force index of 30.0, they are eligible to register."

"Oh?"

Qin Feng showed some interest. "So, are there any formidable opponents from other schools?"

"Formidable? Of course!"

Qian Duoduo immediately pulled up a dozen photos and profiles of students in different school uniforms on the light screen.

"Look, this one, from Golden Dragon Martial High School, 'Golden Dragon' Chen Tian, life force index 30.25, *Overlord Spear* mastered, *Six Harmonies Fist* mastered."

"This one, the chief of Tianshu Martial High School, 'Sword of Tianshu' Liu Feixu, life force index 30.18, *Falling Snow Sword* mastered."

"And this one, from Star River Military Affiliated High School..."

Qian Duoduo rattled off the names of top talents renowned across Qiming Star.

"According to my intel, this year, across all martial high schools on Qiming Star, there are over four thousand graduating students with a life force index of 30.0! It's the most prosperous class in the last decade."

"But..."

Qian Duoduo shifted his tone, a "however" expression on his face.

He swept aside all those talents' profiles and placed Qin Feng's solitary data screenshot—showing the "dual mastery" of killing techniques—at the very center.

"They still can't compare to you."

Qian Duoduo’s voice was filled with certainty. “Their killing techniques—the strongest among them only reach ‘Perfection.’ Not a single one has attained the ‘Mastery Realm.’”

He pointed at Qin Feng and chuckled.

“So, Old Qin. This year’s ‘Qiming Rising Star’ is a done deal for you!”

“I see.”

After hearing Qian Duoduo’s analysis, Qin Feng nodded slightly.

The faint spark of interest that had just risen in his heart swiftly died out.

No opponent in the Mastery Realm.

That meant this competition, for him, truly held no great challenge anymore.

“Sigh…” Qin Feng let out another sigh.

“Hey, Old Qin, don’t be sighing like that.”

Qian Duoduo saw his boredom, his eyes darting as a sudden idea struck him, a mysterious smile spreading across his face.

“If you really have nothing to do and are bored out of your mind, I’ll recommend something fun.”

“What?”

“Fight in the Private Domain!”

Qian Duoduo slapped his thigh. “I know you must think that no one in the senior year Private Domain is your match anymore. But have you ever considered that, besides current students, you could challenge those who’ve already graduated—even geniuses from a thousand years ago who dazzled the world?”

Qin Feng shook his head. “Heh, do you remember Shadow Records?”

Qian Duoduo laughed. “This is the most quintessential mode in Qiming First High’s Private Domain network—challenging the Shadow Records of past alumni!”

“Shadow Records?”

Qin Feng recalled it—he’d heard the teachers mention it when he first entered the Private Domain.

“Exactly!”

Qian Duoduo grew more excited as he spoke. “So-called ‘Shadow Records’ use the deepest spiritual-link technology to take the most brilliant and dazzling seniors in our school’s history—at their peak, most perfect state just before graduation—and permanently preserve them as pure data streams in our school’s Private Domain servers!”

“Each of those Shadow Records possesses one hundred percent of their strength, skill, and combat experience from their graduation peak!”

“Only by reaching number one in the real-time rankings and earning the ‘Year’s Strongest’ certification can you qualify to challenge them!”

“And if you successfully defeat any one of them, then your own image will also be eligible for inclusion in the Private Domain, preserved there for countless future juniors to admire and challenge!”

Qian Duoduo’s words finally rekindled a glimmer of light in Qin Feng’s calm, unruffled eyes.

Challenge the legends of history?

Leave his own image forever etched in the school’s history?

This… sounded somewhat interesting.

He suddenly thought of his two younger brothers, who were in the second year of junior high.

According to his father, both of them had considerable talent.

In the future, getting into Qiming First High was almost a certainty.

The corners of Qin Feng’s mouth involuntarily curled into a playful arc.

He could already imagine it: a few years later, those two little fellows, full of high spirits, would enroll in Qiming First High, then, in the Private Domain network, they’d see their big brother’s Shadow Record, and with the mindset of challenging a legend, they’d be toyed with and brutally crushed by him, time and time again, in every possible way…

That image—thinking about it—was quite amusing.

“Alright.”

Qin Feng nodded. “I’ll give it a try.”

…

No sooner said than done.

After eating, Qin Feng didn’t even return to his dorm; he went straight to the martial arts room and sank his consciousness into the Private Domain network.

His goal was clear.

First, climb the rankings!

Only by reaching first place could he earn the right to challenge.

And so, over the next twenty-four hours, the entire senior year Private Domain of Qiming First High plunged into an unprecedented darkness filled with wails of despair.

Countless senior students, deep in cultivation, experienced the most hopeless matchmaking of their lives.

“Match successful!”

“Damn! It’s ‘Qin’! Brothers, I’m out first!”

“The opponent has withdrawn from the match. You win.”

Battle ended. Time elapsed: one second.

“Match successful!”

“Him again?! System, are you targeting me?! I’ve matched with him three times today!”

“I’ll fight you!”

“Bang!”

Battle ended. Time elapsed: twelve seconds.

…

Not a single senior could last more than thirty seconds under Qin Feng.

After all, the three who might have held out for thirty seconds had already applied for graduation and rushed off to take special recruitment exams at other Starry Sky Martial Universities.

The rest, facing this monster with dual Mastery Realm cultivation and a physique comparable to a young Starry Sky Beast, were no different from lambs to the slaughter.

One day later.

When Qin Feng topped the senior year Private Domain leaderboard with a terrifying record of “1278 wins / 0 losses,” the entire senior channel fell into a strange, relieved joy.

That great demon king had finally finished.

And Qin Feng, the moment he reached the top, received a new system notification.

[Congratulations, you have obtained the “Year’s Strongest” certification.]

[Hidden mode unlocked: Private Domain – Hall of Heroes.]

[You have earned the qualification to challenge the Shadow Records of past alumni.]

Before Qin Feng’s eyes, the scene shifted.

He arrived in a grand hall, heavy with history, like a Pantheon.

Around the hall stood lifelike statues of figures, one after another.

Beneath each statue were inscriptions of their names, life stories, and peak data at graduation.

Qin Feng glanced roughly and found that there were fully three hundred and seventy-two Shadow Records here!

The strength threshold for being preserved here was terrifyingly high.

Qin Feng casually opened the most low-ranked recording.

[Name: Zhang Meng]

[Strength at Graduation: Life Force Index 30.11, Combat Techniques: *Mountain-Splitting Axe* (Mastery), *Thunderclap Fist* (Mastery), *Iron Mountain Palm* (Mastery)]

Even the weakest had three mastered combat techniques!

Looking further ahead, those legendary seniors with higher rankings were even more terrifying.

There were plenty who had mastered five, or even six, combat techniques!

“Every single person here, taken alone, could dominate an era’s school league,” Qin Feng thought, a hint of reverence rising in his heart.

His gaze slowly moved among the legendary statues, searching for a challenge that piqued his interest.

Suddenly.

His eyes froze!

He saw a name he never imagined would appear here—a name all too familiar!

The statue’s owner was a young man with a kind face, yet his eyes held a trace of unruliness and ease.

In his hands, he held no weapon; he simply stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

And on the golden plaque below the statue, his information was clearly engraved.

[Name: Sun Chantang]

[Strength at Graduation: Life Force Index 30.23, Combat Techniques: *Wandering Dragon Hands* (Mastery), *Chasing Cicada Movement* (Mastery), *Dragon-Elephant Fist* (Mastery), *Golden Bell Frame* (Mastery), *Prajna Palm* (Mastery), *Small Splitting Stone Hands* (Mastery)]

“Sun… Master Sun?!”

A storm raged in Qin Feng’s heart!

He never imagined that the benefactor who gave him hope in the darkest moment of his life—the master of the Limitless Martial Arts Hall—had also graduated from Qiming No. 1 High School!

And had left his own legendary recording here!

Six mastered combat techniques!

A genius!

This was a true, unparalleled genius!

Checking the student’s enrollment year, Qin Feng discovered that Master Sun had lived two thousand years ago.

Two thousand years ago, Master Sun already had a Life Force Index of 30.0.

“Of course.”

“His name was on the Thunder Pool Stele before.”

“His home planet is Qiming Star.”

Qin Feng gazed at the statue, both familiar and foreign. In that moment, his long-dormant blood began to burn again, at an unprecedented speed, fiercely ablaze!

Challenge his benefactor!

Surpass the legend!

What could be more thrilling than this?!

(End of chapter)