Chapter 123: Changhong Piercing the Sun

Chapter 123: A Rainbow Pierces the Sun

“Master Sun,”

Qin Feng saluted the statue with an imperial military gesture, his voice low, “Your junior, Qin Feng, requests your guidance.”

His will, like a pebble cast into a tranquil lake, stirred a clear ripple within the deep logic of the private network.

[Challenger detected: Qin Feng]

[Challenge target: Valhalla Serial No. 17, Sun Shantang (Class of Imperial Year 34771)]

[Confirm challenge?]

“Confirmed.”

Qin Feng made his choice without hesitation.

The moment the words fell, the grand hall before him began to ripple and warp like water, then dissolved into countless streams of radiant data, scattering in all directions.

The next second, he found himself on an endless, vast plain made of pure white, gleaming metal.

A hundred meters ahead, dazzling golden data streams coalesced out of thin air, like billions of dancing fireflies, swiftly sketching, weaving, and filling until they solidified into a distinct human form.

It was a young man whose face matched the statue exactly.

He wore the most classic black-and-white standard light armor of Qiming First High, his figure upright, his expression amiable yet tinged with a hint of unrestrained ease.

Only his eyes were no longer the gentle, encouraging ones Qin Feng remembered; they held an absolute calm and emptiness, reflecting nothing but the logic and data of combat.

On his left hand, he wore a set of brass knuckles gleaming with a dull metallic luster, while his right hand hung naturally at his side.

[Recording “Sun Shantang” data loading complete]

[Combat preparation… 3… 2… 1… Begin!]

The instant the cold system prompt sounded, Qin Feng’s body was instantly covered in a matching set of light armor, and in his hand appeared a three-meter-long, ferocious spear forged entirely from high-strength alloy.

As the spear settled into his grip, a familiar sensation, as if it were connected to his own bloodline, surged through him, and his entire aura underwent a dramatic transformation.

If he had been like a calm, steadfast rock a moment ago, now he was a peerless weapon of slaughter, poised to pierce the very heavens!

He did not strike immediately.

Even though his benefactor was but a data recording, he held respect for him.

Across from him, Sun Shantang’s recording remained still as well. It perfectly replicated his combat habits from years past.

As a martial artist skilled in close-quarters combat, he would never recklessly expose himself to the spear’s range; instead, he waited—waited for his opponent to reveal a flaw, waited for the optimal moment to close in.

The air seemed to freeze in that instant.

Qin Feng took a deep breath and broke the silence first.

With a shift of his footwork, his form slid forward like a phantom for dozens of meters, and without any flashy technique, he simply thrust the spear straight ahead.

Hum—!

The spear tip tore through the air, emitting a sharp, piercing whine.

This thrust’s speed had already far surpassed the speed of sound, forming a visible white shock cone at the tip.

Fast! Utterly fast!

Yet, facing this earth-shattering thrust, Sun Shantang’s recording reacted in a way that made Qin Feng’s eyelids twitch.

He neither blocked nor retreated. Instead, just as the spear tip was about to strike, his entire body drifted sideways half a meter like willow fluff stirred by the wind, following a trajectory that defied the laws of physics.

The Cicada-Chasing Body Art!

Qin Feng’s pupils contracted slightly.

Though he had only used seventy percent of his strength in this thrust, its speed was such that even an ordinary third-tier martial artist would have no time to react.

Yet Sun Shantang’s recording evaded it with such effortless grace, a testament to the exquisite subtlety of his footwork.

The thrust missed. Qin Feng twisted his wrist, and the extended spear instantly changed from a straight line to a sweeping arc. The spear shaft, carrying immense force, traced a massive crescent of death, aimed at Sun Shantang’s waist as he just landed.

The Thousand-Army Spear’s killing move—[A Thousand Armies Yield]!

This technique, heavy and powerful with a wide coverage, was precisely designed to counter agile opponents.

Faced with this unavoidable sweep, Sun Shantang’s recording finally ceased to dodge.

His feet rooted themselves into the ground like tree trunks, and his left arm crossed before his chest, forming the Golden Bell Frame.

The Golden Bell Frame!

Clang—!!!

A thunderous roar, like a ancient bell being struck, echoed throughout the entire “arena.”

A visible shockwave radiated outward in all directions from the point of impact between the two.

Sun Shantang’s recording had forcibly withstood Qin Feng’s earth-shattering sweep.

But the alloy ground beneath his feet, unable to fully dissipate the terrifying force, cracked inch by inch, and he slid backward for over ten meters before barely stabilizing himself.

His left arm, which had condensed the Golden Bell Frame, trembled slightly.

Both strength and speed exceeded Master Sun’s peak from back then.

In just one exchange, Qin Feng reached the most direct conclusion.

His life force index was 30.01, while Sun Shantang’s at graduation had been 30.23—seemingly close.

But Qin Feng’s physical body had been enhanced by the “Stellar Beast Type II Gene Enhancement Agent,” had broken Sun Shantang’s own record in the “Qiming Thunder Pool,” and had ultimately undergone the system’s “Life Evolution,” reaching a terrifying level comparable to an “embryonic-stage stellar beast.”

His base stats completely overwhelmed any genius of the same tier, including Sun Shantang from two thousand years ago.

As for technique, the Thousand-Army Spear had reached the “Mastery” realm, while all of Sun Shantang’s killing arts remained at “Perfection.”

A single word’s difference, a world apart.

“Forgive me.”

Qin Feng murmured in his heart, and his gaze suddenly turned fierce. He would use his strongest spear technique to end this battle, where the strength was not evenly matched.

The next moment, the spear in his hand seemed to vanish from the real world.

No spear shadow, no sound of breaking air, and even light itself appeared to be swallowed by that single spear tip.

[Flowing Light Chasing Shadows]!

This was the ultimate strike he had comprehended from the three killing moves of the Thousand-Army Spear, fusing his own will with the essence of the “Mastery” realm!

Supreme in speed, supreme in precision!

Sun Shantang’s recording, having just regained its balance, had its combat logic—woven from data streams—set off alarm bells instantly. Almost instinctively, it pushed the Cicada-Chasing Body Art to its limit, its entire form blurring into a vague afterimage, attempting to evade once more.

But this time, his footwork failed.

A killing move at the “Mastery” realm carried a trace of “intent” that locked onto its target.

No matter how he dodged, that deadly, cold gleam followed like a shadow, firmly fixed on his throat.

Pfft.

A sound so faint it was nearly inaudible.

The entire world seemed to have been pressed into a pause.

Qin Feng's figure appeared behind Sun Chantang's afterimage, still maintaining the posture of drawing his spear.

And the tip of that alloy long spear stopped with pinpoint precision before the throat of Sun Chantang's afterimage, less than a millimeter from the skin.

The terrifying energy contained in the spear tip had completely annihilated that patch of space, forming a tiny region of absolute vacuum.

One more fraction of an inch forward, and it would be a killing blow.

[Battle End]

[Challenger "Qin Feng" Victorious]

[Time: Thirty-Seven Seconds]

The cold system notification announced the result of this battle.

The afterimage of Sun Chantang ahead slowly dissolved into countless specks of light, dissipating into the air.

Qin Feng slowly withdrew his long spear, standing silently in place, but there was no trace of victory joy on his face; instead, it was an indescribable complex emotion.

Too easy.

From start to finish, he hadn't even felt any real pressure.

This was not a duel at all, but a one-sided massacre.

He had won, but won without any sense of accomplishment.

"My strength and speed have completely surpassed Master Sun's."

"My spear technique is at the level of 'Mastery,' while all of Master Sun's killing arts are merely at 'Perfection.'"

"Holding a three-meter long spear, using length to strike short, I already had an absolute weapon advantage."

Qin Feng reviewed the battle just fought in his mind, and the more he analyzed, the more insipid it felt.

This was not the battle he wanted.

What he wanted to experience was the true skill that Master Sun had once dominated an era with!

It was the flawless close-combat system formed by the integration of those six perfected killing arts!

"This... is like bullying someone."

Qin Feng muttered to himself, then his gaze became resolute again.

He raised his head and said in a deep voice to the empty arena, "Challenge again."

[Confirm challenge again?]

"Confirm!"

Hum—

The space ahead rippled again, and countless specks of light converged once more.

That familiar figure appeared again before Qin Feng.

Still that amiable yet unruly countenance, still those eyes that held only battle logic, absolutely calm.

Only this time, Qin Feng's hands were also empty.

[Battle preparation... 3... 2... 1... Begin!]

The word "Begin" was still echoing in the arena.

The afterimage of Sun Chantang opposite moved!

His figure, as if pushed forward by an invisible giant hand, instantly crossed twenty meters, almost skimming the ground like a shadow chasing the chirping of cicadas, and burst in front of Qin Feng!

"Cicada-Chasing Body Art"!

This time, it was no longer dodging, but extreme closing in!

Fast! Too fast!

The nearly teleporting advance made Qin Feng's heart leap.

He didn't even have time to make any extra moves; he could only instinctively cross his arms to protect his chest.

And Sun Chantang's attack had already descended like a raging storm!

His left hand, with knuckle dusters, carried an indestructible sharp aura, aiming straight for Qin Feng's ribs—a vital point.

The force seemed as if it could punch through a thick stone tablet!

"Small Stele-Splitting Hand"!

And his right palm became heavy as a mountain, broad as a seal, with a dull sound of breaking wind, striking toward Qin Feng's temple from an extremely tricky angle!

"Prajna Palm"!

One left, one right; one sharp, one heavy; one yin, one soft—coordinated with that elusive body art, within a mere 0.1 second, they formed a seamless killing combo!

This was Sun Chantang's true battle posture!

Six killing arts complementing each other, only one step away from mastering all six!

Terrifying beyond measure!

(End of this chapter)