Chapter 134: A Hundred Thousand Years is Too Long, I Only Fight for the Present! Generous Rewards

Chapter 134: A Hundred Thousand Years Is Too Long, I Seize the Day! Generous Rewards! (Fourth Update, Begging for Monthly Tickets~)

The planetary-grade transport shuttle descended smoothly into the exclusive docking port of Qiming No.1 High School.

As the hatch opened and Qin Feng’s figure appeared at the top of the gangway, the waiting students of Qiming No.1 High erupted into a frenzy of cheers even more fervent than those on the arena earlier.

“Welcome back our Qiming Star, our victorious classmate Qin Feng!”

“First in history! Brother Feng is incredible!”

Countless gazes converged upon Qin Feng.

In those eyes, there was not a trace of doubt or jealousy, only the purest, most heartfelt admiration and reverence.

In this top-tier academy, where strength reigned supreme and power spoke louder than words, Qin Feng had conquered every heart with his undisputed, crushing victories.

Qin Feng had brought supreme honor to Qiming No.1 High School!

They shared in his glory!

Qin Feng walked through the crowd that had spontaneously parted to make way for him, heading toward the martial arts hall alongside Qian Duoduo, Shi Potian, and the others.

Along the way, every student he encountered—whether freshmen from the first year or upperclassmen from the second and third years—instinctively paused, greeted him, and addressed him as “Senior Qin Feng” or “Brother Qin.”

Yet, just as Qin Feng was about to reach the dormitory building, his personal terminal vibrated once more.

It was another message from Mentor Gu Yue, but its content was extremely concise.

[Come to the top-floor terrace of the North Crown Building.]

Qin Feng paused mid-step, a glimmer of understanding flashing in his eyes.

He exchanged a few words with Qian Duoduo and the others, then turned and made his way toward the school’s administrative and academic core—the North Crown Building.

…

The North Crown Building was the most magnificent structure at Qiming No.1 High School, soaring a thousand meters into the clouds.

Its top-floor terrace was a place accessible only to the school’s highest-ranking leaders and special-grade professors.

When Qin Feng stepped onto the terrace via the dedicated anti-gravity elevator, a cool night breeze greeted him, carrying the thin, unique air of the high altitude, which settled his mind into complete stillness.

The terrace was vast, its floor paved with an unknown white jade that glowed with a warm luster under the starlight.

Beyond the railing lay the dazzling nightscape of Qiming City, and farther still, the boundless, deep sea of stars.

Three figures stood silently at the edge of the terrace, their backs to him, as if gazing at the starry sky.

They were Mentor Gu Yue, Teacher Lin Yue, and his former homeroom teacher, Teacher Wu Shangfeng.

Hearing his footsteps, the three turned around slowly.

Their faces, without exception, bore a heartfelt, unconcealed expression of relief and pride.

Wu Shangfeng’s usually chiseled, stern face now softened into a rare, gentle smile.

Teacher Lin Yue’s beautiful eyes sparkled with extraordinary brilliance, filled with admiration for her student.

As for the goateed Mentor Gu Yue, he still wore that calm, carefree expression, but the slight upward curl of his beard betrayed his excellent mood.

“Mentor Gu Yue, Teacher Wu, Teacher Lin Yue.”

Qin Feng stepped forward and respectfully greeted each of the three mentors who had given him immense help on his martial path.

“Hahaha, good! Excellent!”

Wu Shangfeng stepped forward, his large, paddle-like hand landing heavily on Qin Feng’s shoulder, his voice booming, “You did brilliantly, kid!”

“Congratulations, classmate Qin Feng.”

Teacher Lin Yue’s smile was as gentle as water.

“Have a seat.”

Mentor Gu Yue gestured to a stone stool nearby, signaling Qin Feng not to be formal.

The three first lavished Qin Feng with praise, their words brimming with joy.

Once the atmosphere had settled slightly, Mentor Gu Yue’s expression gradually turned serious.

He looked at Qin Feng and spoke slowly:

“Qin Feng, now that your vitality index has reached the third-level martial artist limit of 30.0, you have left the first-sequence imprint in the school’s private domain, the ‘Hall of Heroes,’ and you have also obtained the most prestigious title, ‘Qiming Star.’ It can be said that in your martial arts high school career, you have achieved a grand slam. Procedurally, you can apply for graduation at any time and begin your new journey.”

“However, as your mentor, before you apply for graduation, we must explain to you the path of cultivation beyond the third-level martial artist.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng’s eyes lit up instantly.

This was precisely the knowledge he most craved at this moment.

Although his strength had skyrocketed, his understanding of the higher levels of the martial world remained vague.

He immediately sat up straight, his expression focused, ready to listen.

Mentor Gu Yue nodded, satisfied with his attitude, and then began:

“First, there are some external conditions you must possess after graduation.”

“Item One: Imperial Mission Authority.”

“This will be your primary and most stable way to obtain cultivation resources and imperial merits. From newly graduated fourth-level martial artists to planetary-level, stellar-level, and even black hole-level peak experts, their daily cultivation resources all depend on accepting various missions issued by the Empire. Of course, you can also choose to travel alone through the myriad races’ star seas beyond the human empire’s territory, seeking your own opportunities, but the latter is extremely dangerous. Even black hole-level experts have fallen countless times in unknown star regions. Therefore, the vast majority of martial artists still rely on the imperial mission system. This authority will be automatically activated once you officially register as a fourth-level martial artist.”

Qin Feng nodded silently, committing this point firmly to memory.

This was the foundation of survival and development.

It was also an effective way to obtain resources.

“Item Two: Imperial Forum.”

Mentor Gu Yue continued: “This forum is similar to the private domain forum of Qiming No.1 High School that you currently use, but its coverage extends across the entire human empire. You can choose to view information in sections belonging to specific galaxies or star regions based on your authority. It contains a vast amount of real-time information that is constantly updated, from newly enacted imperial decrees, to beast tides erupting in a certain star region, to newly discovered secret realm danger coordinates—everything is included. You must develop the habit of checking it regularly, especially after every long period of seclusion. The first thing you should do is check the forum messages to understand changes in the outside world, so as not to make wrong judgments due to information gaps.”

“This authority requires you to actively purchase it on the subspace network, at a price of one hundred thousand imperial credits.”

“Item Three: Intelligent Assistant.”

“This point is of utmost importance.”

Mentor Gu Yue’s tone became exceptionally solemn.

“A person’s energy is limited. You cannot waste precious time sifting through a sea of missions to find the one that suits you, nor can you read every single piece of information that refreshes countless times per second on the forum. At such times, you need a sufficiently powerful subspace network intelligent assistant.”

“A top-tier intelligent assistant can complement the first two points. It can quickly filter out the most suitable and cost-effective mission list for you from billions of missions based on your strength and needs; it can automatically collect and organize all important information for you while you are in seclusion and generate briefings; it can even assist you in formulating detailed cultivation plans, coordinating and automatically purchasing cultivation resources. In short, it can free you from countless tedious chores, allowing you to devote one hundred percent of your energy to cultivation itself.”

“However, there is one thing you must firmly remember.”

Mentor Gu Yue’s gaze sharpened, “When encountering ‘Mechanical Race’ lifeforms, never, ever summon your intelligent assistant. If you accept a mission related to the Mechanical Race, then absolutely do not carry any intelligent creations with you. This is an iron law, remember it well!”

Qin Feng felt a chill in his heart. Although he did not know the specific reason, Mentor Gu Yue’s solemn warning must have profound reasoning behind it.

He nodded heavily.

“For the intelligent assistant, I suggest you directly purchase the top-tier one—a one-time investment for lifelong use. The price is five million imperial credits.”

Having said these three points, Mentor Gu Yue paused, picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and left Qin Feng enough time to digest.

Qin Feng quickly sorted through these three points in his mind.

Mission authority was the rice bowl, the forum was the eyes and ears, and the intelligent assistant was the brain for efficient operation.

The three are integrated into one, forming the foundational framework for a martial artist to merge into the broader world after graduation.

He nodded slightly, signaling that he fully understood.

"Good."

Seeing the clarity in Qin Feng’s eyes, Mentor Gu Yue nodded in satisfaction and set down his teacup.

"Next, we will tell you the cultivation method for a fourth-level martial artist, and... the distant future beyond."

The expressions of Wu Shangfeng and Teacher Lin Yue also turned exceedingly solemn.

For what followed was the true core of a martial artist’s foundation for survival.

"Good!"

Qin Feng straightened his back, focused all his attention, and listened intently.

"You already know that a martial artist’s cultivation follows the 'Principle of Extreme Recovery'—using external means to inflict deep damage on the physical body, then repairing it with resources, thereby enhancing vitality."

Gu Yue’s voice grew low and resonant.

"But once the vitality index reaches 30.0, the body’s strength and resilience have reached an extremely high level. Ordinary body-tempering methods, even advanced imperial ones, can no longer inflict 'extreme' damage on your body. At the same time, every minor increase in vitality above 30.0 becomes several times harder than before. If you persist with the old methods of hard training, your progress will slow more and more."

"To solve this and maintain efficient improvement, the empire’s predecessors, after countless years of exploration and experimentation, finally devised a method."

Mentor Gu Yue looked at Qin Feng and said, word by word:

"Opening Apertures."

"Opening Apertures?"

A flicker of doubt passed through Qin Feng’s eyes. He had heard Teacher Lin Yue mention it once before, but it was only a brief remark without elaboration.

"Correct, Opening Apertures."

Mentor Gu Yue explained, "The so-called 'Opening Apertures' involves using a special cultivation technique known as the 'Aperture-Opening Method,' aided by your own powerful mental energy for precise control, to carve out 'aperture shells' within your body to store energy."

"Once an aperture shell is successfully opened, it can actively absorb spiritual energy to scour and baptize your physical body. This process is extremely painful, but the damage inflicted on the body is controllable and profoundly deep. This perfectly resolves the issue of 'insufficient damage.' At the same time, the absorbed spiritual energy is stored within the aperture shells, continuously nourishing your limbs and bones, becoming part of your strength."

"The positions of the aperture shells are not fixed. Different Aperture-Opening Methods yield entirely different positions, quantities, and qualities of the shells. The higher the grade of the method, the more apertures can be opened, and the higher the quality of the shells. This means the stronger the peak strength you can achieve as a fourth-level martial artist. However, correspondingly, the higher the grade, the greater the difficulty of cultivation, and the more terrifying the pain during aperture opening. Moreover, this directly affects the difficulty of 'Merging Apertures' at the fifth level."

Mentor Gu Yue extended a finger and pointed in the air.

"In the empire’s standard classification, Aperture-Opening Methods are roughly divided into four grades."

"Lower-grade methods can only open thirty-six basic apertures."

"Mid-grade methods can open seventy-two."

"High-grade methods can open one hundred and eight apertures, corresponding to the cycles of heaven."

"And the top-tier, supreme-grade methods... can open three hundred and sixty major apertures!"

"The reward you obtained in the league—the 'Great Sun Aperture-Opening Method'—is a standout among supreme-grade methods. If you cultivate it to perfection, supplemented by visualization with the 'Great Sun Visualization Method,' you can open three hundred and sixty 'Great Sun Apertures' within your body, resonating with the sun in the sky. Of course, its cultivation difficulty is among the highest of all Aperture-Opening Methods."

"Once you have fully opened all three hundred and sixty Great Sun Apertures, reaching the limit of a fourth-level martial artist, you must begin preparing to advance to the fifth level. The core of fifth-level cultivation is called 'Merging Apertures.' As the name implies, it involves merging the three hundred and sixty Great Sun Apertures you painstakingly opened into a single 'Spiritual Source.' This process uses the unimaginable pain generated during merging to give the physical body its ultimate baptism, allowing your vitality index to leap forward once again."

"When the 'Spiritual Source' is successfully condensed, subsequent cultivation involves continuously filling it with mental energy. When your mental energy index reaches at least 100 points, you can use the Spiritual Source as a foundation, the body as a vessel, and the mind as a sail to roam the skies. That is the sixth level—the Flying Martial Artist."

Mentor Gu Yue laid out the path of cultivation from the fourth to the sixth level clearly before Qin Feng.

Qin Feng listened as if intoxicated, a new, grand martial world slowly taking shape in his mind.

He greedily absorbed every word, feeling that his understanding of future cultivation had never been so clear.

"The seventh level is called 'Mountain-Sea Martial Artist,' the eighth level 'Sun-Moon Martial Artist.' The ninth level is known as 'Ultimate Martial Artist,' signifying the pinnacle of mortal martial arts."

"And above the ninth level lies a leap in life form, sequentially: Planetary-level, Stellar-level, Galactic-level, and Black Hole-level life forms."

Mentor Gu Yue’s gaze grew distant.

"According to the empire’s big data, a gifted martial artist, from birth, takes an average of a thousand years to advance to a Planetary-level life form." "To go from Planetary-level to Black Hole-level takes an average of one hundred thousand years."

He withdrew his gaze, settling it back on Qin Feng, with a hint of expectation and assessment in his eyes.

"The road ahead is still very, very long. What you must do is cultivate diligently every day, neither arrogant nor impatient, neither hasty nor slow, gathering bits to form a whole, piling grains to build a tower. Do you understand what I mean?"

After hearing this, Qin Feng was silent for a moment.

He raised his head, meeting the gazes of the three mentors. In his pitch-black eyes, there was no fear of the vast expanse of time, but instead a blazing, unprecedented, dazzling light.

He spoke slowly, his voice soft yet firm as iron, each word carrying weight.

"A hundred thousand years is too long—I seize only the present!"

As his words fell, the terrace fell into silence.

Wu Shangfeng, Lin Yue, and Gu Yue were first slightly stunned, then, as if by unspoken agreement, their faces burst into radiant, unrestrained smiles.

"Good!"

"Well said!"

"Haha! What a 'seize only the present'! Truly worthy of being the student I, Wu Shangfeng, have chosen!"

The three mentors laughed in unison.

Their laughter was hearty and bold, filled with boundless admiration and affirmation for the soaring ambition of the youth before them, echoing long under the silent starry sky.

—

On the terrace, the three mentors’ hearty laughter gradually subsided.

They looked at the spirited youth who had declared, "A hundred thousand years is too long—I seize only the present," their eyes brimming with genuine appreciation and gratification.

With such a spirit, how could martial arts fail to succeed?

"Alright, having spoken of the future path, it’s time to formally hand over the reward at hand."

Mentor Gu Yue spoke with a smile, breaking the heroic atmosphere and steering the conversation back to reality.

With a flick of his wrist, a delicate box made of dark red metal, engraved with the empire’s double-headed eagle emblem, appeared in his hand.

Wu Shangfeng took the box, his expression turning solemn.

He opened the box and presented it to Qin Feng.

Inside the box lay a medal.

The medal’s overall hue was a heavy red-black, as if woven from dried blood and endless night.

Its main design featured two sharp combat knives crossed, with a meticulously carved, lifelike morning star at their intersection.

This was the empire’s first-class medal: the Morning Star General Medal.

"This is the first medal on your life’s journey."

Wu Shangfeng’s voice was deep and forceful, carrying a soldier’s unique solemnity.

"Boy, remember this. Any medal officially certified by the empire, even if it’s only the lowest first-class medal, holds immense value. Because it represents not just a reward, but an honor—a distinction recognized by the empire’s will."

Feeling that words were too pale, he simply said, "Let me show you the recording from when Company Commander Zhou Xiong was promoted to that rank, and you’ll understand."

With that, Wu Shangfeng opened his personal terminal and deftly operated it a few times.

Soon, a holographic projection unfolded before Qin Feng, forming a massive virtual screen.

The screen lit up, and a magnificent, breathtaking scene appeared before Qin Feng’s eyes.

It was a war-chapter meeting hall so towering it seemed to prop up the very heavens, its Gothic vault soaring to immense heights, with cold metal and rugged rock forming its eternal, unchanging foundation.

The entire hall could hold hundreds of thousands of people.

And at this moment, every corner of the hall was filled with stalwart warriors clad in sky-blue power armor.

Ultramarines.

Each of them held their helmet tucked under an arm, standing at the most perfect attention, silent.

A gathering of hundreds of thousands, yet so quiet that a pin drop could be heard, as only a mountain-like aura, forged from iron will and discipline, spread silently, nearly crushing the viewer through the screen.

At the center of the scene stood a towering ceremonial platform.

Company Commander Zhou Xiong was atop that platform.

He wore a more ornate and heavier suit of power armor, befitting his rank as company commander, and on his chest hung a dozen medals of various sizes and shapes.

His face was resolute, his eyes sharp as blades, and on his forehead, three deep, blood-red nail marks, as if branded by blood itself, exuded a chilling aura of slaughter.

In the image, Zhou Xiong faced the hundreds of thousands of battle-brothers below, slowly and solemnly executing an impeccable Imperial salute.

The next second!

"For the Empire!"

A roar like a tidal wave erupted!

Hundreds of thousands of Ultramarines, in perfect unison, with movements so synchronized they sent shivers down the spine, returned the highest salute to their commander!

That earth-shaking momentum, that fervor and loyalty born from the depths of the soul, even just watching the recording, made Qin Feng feel his blood boil in an instant!

Wu Shangfeng, seeing the awe on Qin Feng's face, smiled.

"See that? That's the meaning of the medals. When one day you can carve out your own Imperial medals from the crucible of blood and fire, earn the loyalty of a host of iron-blooded veterans who have fought across the cosmos for millennia, and be recognized and elected by them as their leader, then you will truly understand this feeling."

"Not only that,"

Wu Shangfeng added, shifting his tone, "the Imperial medals themselves are forged from special materials imbued with powerful spiritual energy. Wearing them provides an effective shield for your spirit. Their function is akin to the 'Ten-Thousand Battle Nails' on Commander Zhou Xiong's forehead."

Qin Feng's eyes burned with fervor.

This, this was the romance of a man!

He solemnly took the medal from Wu Shangfeng and carefully pinned it to his chest.

Next came the transfer of the *Great Sun Meridian Opening Technique*.

It was merely a holographic teaching data stream within the subspace network. After Mentor Gu Yue granted Qin Feng access, he received it directly and stored it deep within his personal terminal, planning to study it carefully later.

Then, Teacher Lin Yue retrieved two physical rewards from a temporary spatial storage device.

A spear, and a suit of power armor.

"These two items are fourth-tier creations, custom-made to your measurements,"

Mentor Gu Yue explained. "Remember, weapons and power armor cannot perfectly merge with the body until a martial artist advances to the planetary level. You can only store them in subspace storage and equip them when needed for battle."

"Only when you break through to the planetary level and your life form undergoes a leap can you, like those powerful warriors, fully integrate the power armor into your flesh, summoning it at will with a thought. At that point, even when not manifested on the surface, the armor provides a formidable passive defense for your body."

Speaking thus, Mentor Gu Yue seemed to suddenly remember something and slapped her forehead.

"Almost forgot—you'll also need to purchase a subspace storage space. I recommend buying a first-tier storage space for one million Imperial credits, which grants about a hundred cubic meters of stable space—enough for your current needs."

"Alright, don't just stand there,"

Teacher Lin Yue urged with a smile. "Put it on and try it. Let us see the bearing of our newly promoted Shining Star."

Qin Feng nodded and stepped forward.

He first fixed his gaze on the power armor standing silently before him.

The Punisher IV.

Its entire body was a deep, matte black that seemed to absorb all light.

Its design was a brutal and practical industrial aesthetic.

On the heavy chest plate and shoulder guards, dark red war patterns were etched, their lines sharp as beast claws.

Most striking were the oversized pauldrons, shaped like ancient, majestic heraldic shields, capable of withstanding heavy cannon fire.

At the center of the chest plate was embossed a silver school emblem of Qiming First High.

On the right pauldron was a personal insignia designed by Mentor Gu Yue—a spear and a fierce bird.

Qin Feng stepped into the armor's mounting frame.

With a thought, the entire suit emitted a series of fine, grating metallic sounds and the hum of servo motors.

"Click! Clank!"

One by one, the heavy armor plates began to close in precise sequence. Leg plates, arm guards, waist and abdomen armor, chest plate... Finally, the menacing T-shaped visor helmet slowly descended, locking seamlessly with the neck armor.

A heavy, power-filled sensation spread through his entire body.

Qin Feng moved his limbs; the exposed synthetic tendons and energy conduits at the joints flexed with his motions, brimming with strength.

Inside the helmet, pale blue data streams flashed across the retinal screen, feeding him clear feedback of all external information.

Then, he reached out and grasped the custom fourth-tier alloy spear.

As the spear entered his hand, a startling weight pressed down.

The spear was forged from an unknown black alloy, its shaft long and straight, devoid of any superfluous decoration save for some ancient runes etched into it to channel energy.

Its most striking feature was the blade—a long, willow-leaf-shaped edge that glimmered with a faint, chilling gleam, as if it did not reflect light but devoured it.

When Qin Feng held this spear, he could clearly feel an unmatched sharpness emanating from its tip, as if it could pierce space itself at any moment.

Now, Qin Feng stood there, clad in his fierce black-and-red armor, gripping the gleaming black spear.

He was imposing, cold, exuding a suffocating pressure.

"Not bad,"

Mentor Gu Yue said, her eyes full of approval. "Man and armor, spear and presence—there's already a hint of harmony."

She paused, then continued, "As for the recruitment information for Canaan Starry Sky Martial University, including the exam dates, content, and past admission standards, you can find it all on the public forum of the Canaan Star System. Once you purchase access, you can look into it yourself."

"Alright, now you can go back and get organized."

Mentor Gu Yue laid out Qin Feng's next steps.

"Go back and purchase the subspace storage space, the *Great Sun Visualization Technique* that complements the *Great Sun Meridian Opening Technique*, permanent access to the Imperial Forum, and an S-class intelligent assistant. Once you've sorted all that, submit your graduation application in the next few days. As for the Imperial mission access, it will unlock automatically after you graduate."

The three mentors exchanged glances; everything that needed to be said had been said.

The rest of the path was for Qin Feng to walk alone.

"Go on."

Mentor Gu Yue, Teacher Wu Shangfeng, and Teacher Lin Yue stood side by side, looking at their disciple, who had grown into a towering tree, with identical smiles of relief and anticipation.

Finally, in unison, they offered their most sincere blessing.

"May your martial fortune flourish!"

These four words surged into Qin Feng's heart like a warm current.

He looked upon the three mentors who had guided him step by step to this moment, a tumult of emotions surging within him, and an ineffable sadness and reluctance quietly emerged.

A thousand words, in the end, condensed into the simplest and most solemn of gestures.

Qin Feng put away his spear and disengaged his power armor. Facing his three teachers, he bowed deeply, deeply.

"Thank you, three teachers, for your nurturing grace!"

His voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible tremor.

The three mentors said nothing more, merely gazing at him in silence, their smiles gentle and benevolent.

Some gratitude needs no words; they understood it all.

(The chapter ends)