Chapter 140: Fierce Owl Shadow Chase, a Body Like a Starry Sky Behemoth! (Second Update)

Chapter 140: The Fierce Hawk's Shadow Chases, a Body Like a Starry Sky Beast! (Third Update, Begging for Monthly Tickets)

The dizziness of spatial teleportation surged like a tide, then receded in an instant.

A moment ago, Qin Feng stood in the solemn and majestic examination square of Canaan Starry Sky Martial University, surrounded by the clamorous voices of a million gathered prodigies;

the next second, the entire world had turned upside down.

He opened his eyes, and before him lay a completely unfamiliar world.

The sky was not blue, but a oppressive and dull orange-yellow, as if shrouded by an eternal layer of sand and dust.

Beneath his feet were not the solid stone slabs of the square, but loose, granular reddish-brown sandy soil.

Looking into the distance, the land stretched endlessly, rugged with strange rocks; pillars and rocky hills, eroded by wind and sand into bizarre shapes, formed the monotonous and repetitive landscape of this barren terrain.

There was no wind, the air so dry it seemed to wring the last drop of moisture from one's lungs; a deathly silence enveloped the surroundings, with only the occasional distortion of air from distant heat currents proving that this world was not static.

This was planet G19182-B11, a world completely occupied by the Zerg, yet with the intensity of war controlled by the human high command, ultimately transformed into a natural trial ground.

Just as Qin Feng warily surveyed his surroundings, suppressing his aura to the extreme, the prompt from his intelligent assistant "Hammer" echoed directly in his mind through the subspace network.

[Warning: You have entered a high-risk zone.]

[Task module activated...]

[Single-player task (First): Solo hunt a Level 4 Elite Zerg.]

[Task status: In progress.]

[Task time limit (first two tasks combined): Six months.]

[Special reminder: For this practical assessment, all external auxiliary equipment such as psionic weapons, power armor, and recovery potions are disabled. Self-prepared cold weapons are permitted.]

Qin Feng's gaze was calm as still water, with no ripples in his heart.

Solo hunt a Level 4 Elite Zerg.

He and all other examinees were currently at the limit of Level 3 martial artists, not yet having successfully opened a single acupoint within their bodies.

To confront a Level 4 life form with a Level 3 body was itself a challenge that crossed life levels.

Moreover, the enemy was one of the most terrifying races in the universe—the Zerg.

"Hammer, immediately gather all public information about planet G19182-B11 and the Zerg on this planet, conduct inductive analysis, and find a breakthrough."

Qin Feng issued the command in his mind.

He did not act hastily but chose a relatively concealed rock depression, merging his body into the shadows like a statue, immersing all his focus in communication with Hammer.

On the battlefield, the value of intelligence always outweighs reckless courage.

"Command received. Retrieving, analyzing, and modeling from the Empire's public database and the public information library provided by Canaan Starry Sky Martial University..."

Hammer's efficiency was astonishing; in just one second, the vast flow of information had been organized by it and presented in the clearest and most intuitive way within Qin Feng's consciousness.

[Information compilation complete.]

[Regarding the Zerg:]

[Racial classification: One of the peak races of the universe, the pinnacle of pure biological evolution.]

[Core will: Hive Mind. An absolute spiritual network covering the entire race, coldly and precisely controlling all Zerg activities. Individual Zerg, in most cases, lack independent thought and only follow commands issued by the Hive Mind.]

[Racial purpose: Reproduction. To achieve this, the Zerg can digest and absorb all matter on a planet, converting it into psionic matter for their own growth.]

[Core trait: Gene devouring and adaptive evolution. The Zerg can continuously modify and optimize themselves by devouring gene fragments of other species, evolving into more efficient and deadly war machines. This leads to the Zerg's appearance and abilities being incredibly diverse, highly targeted, and adaptive.]

[Warning: On the battlefield, there are almost no "isolated" Zerg. Their actions are highly coordinated; once engaged with a combat unit, it is highly likely to attract nearby Zerg reinforcements within a short time.]

The vast information gave Qin Feng a deeper understanding of this terrifying race.

They were like cosmic locusts, leaving nothing behind wherever they passed.

Next came a detailed analysis of the current mission target.

[Regarding Level 4 Elite Zerg:]

[Definition: A Zerg unit that has completed preliminary "specialization," with a life index typically above 30.00, its body structure and combat functions highly differentiated.]

[Known "specialization" types listed as follows:]

[1. Assault type: The backbone of the battlefield, usually possessing sturdy chitinous exoskeletons, sharp bone blades, or biochemical cannons, born for slaughter, extremely dangerous.]

[2. Defense type: Possesses thicker carapaces and biological shields, existing specifically to protect high-value units or strategic locations, extremely difficult to kill.]

[3. Guardian type: Balanced in offense and defense, personal bodyguards for higher-level Zerg lords, usually appearing in pairs or groups.]

[4. Sentinel type: Possesses strong concealment abilities, excels in reconnaissance and information transmission, can release special pheromones to call for reinforcements.]

[5. Artillery Zerg: Specialized living artillery, can gestate and launch corrosive or explosive spore mines internally, can coexist with other Zerg.]

[6. Transport type: Responsible for transporting collected matter or psionic resources back to the hive or forward base.]

[Based on the current mission target "solo hunt" and user strength assessment, Hammer proposes the optimal suggestion:]

[Suggested hunt target: Transport-type Level 4 Elite Zerg.]

[Reason: To maximize transport efficiency, this type of Zerg usually sacrifices some defensive and direct attack capabilities. Its main threats are extremely high movement speed and relatively large size. Among all Level 4 Elite Zerg, transport-type Zerg have the weakest frontal combat power and have a very low probability of appearing "alone" for special transport missions.]

Qin Feng slowly digested the massive information, a glimmer of understanding flashing in his deep eyes.

Hammer's analysis coincided with his own judgment.

To solo hunt a Level 4 Elite Zerg without alerting the entire swarm, challenging those assault or defense units born for war head-on, was nothing short of a fool's dream.

The only breakthrough lay in those units with relatively peripheral functions.

The transport soldier was that perfect "soft target."

Of course, this "softness" was relative.

A Level 4 creature with a life index above 30.0, even if not skilled in combat, possessed basic strength, speed, and vitality that were terrifying enough.

"What patterns do the transport soldiers' movement routes follow?"

Qin Feng pressed further.

"The core task of transport-type Zerg is to transport psionic matter. Therefore, their movement routes must revolve around 'resource points' and 'hives.' Although the surface of planet G19182-B11 is barren, there are still areas rich in psionic matter in certain specific regions, such as oases, swamps, fungal forests, etc. These places are where transport-type Zerg are most likely to appear."

"Understood."

A clear plan had already formed in Qin Feng's mind.

"Don't rush," he told himself. "Individual Zerg may lack intelligence, but the wisdom of the Hive Mind might surpass that of humans. Any hunter who seeks quick success will easily expose himself to the prey's sight, turning himself into the hunted. I must become a hunter more patient than the Hive Mind."

He suppressed all his aura, like a true rock, quietly lurking in the shadows, beginning to plan his first step: first, find a location rich in psionic resources in this vast Gobi desert.

...

Meanwhile, on Canaan Star, atop that towering black stone platform.

Dozens of Stellar-level mentors stood in the void, their expressions composed.

Before them, a colossal light screen enveloped the entire platform, meticulously divided into millions of tiny squares, each one broadcasting the first-person perspective of a candidate in real time.

The mentors' gazes were sharp, sweeping effortlessly across the images, taking in every reaction of the students.

Lü Lan, a mentor with a refined, middle-aged appearance, clapped his hands lightly and chuckled:

"Interesting, interesting. This batch of youngsters has clear heads, doesn't it? Over ninety percent, after receiving the analysis from their smart assistants, unhesitatingly locked onto the transport bugs. They all know to crush the softest persimmon first."

Beside him, a red-haired female mentor spoke calmly: "On the battlefield, knowing how to avoid risks and find the enemy's weaknesses is the first rule of survival. This shows they are at least not reckless."

"Haha, that's true enough."

Lü Lan shook his head, a hint of playful smile on his lips, "But is the transport bug really a soft persimmon? It is, after all, a genuine fourth-tier elite creature. These little ones haven't even constructed the 'shell' of their first acupoint yet; their bodies have not undergone tempering and sublimation. Trying to hunt a fourth-tier with a third-tier physique is difficult..."

"This is precisely the meaning of the assessment."

Lü Lan said, "If they charged head-on, they would be dead for sure. This stage tests not strength, but wisdom, patience, and the ability to find and create opportunities. Look, many who cannot hold their patience have already started wandering the Gobi like headless flies."

The mentors' eyes swept across the light screen, and sure enough, they saw many images of young geniuses anxiously running around, trying to stumble upon a lone Zerg by luck.

...

In the Gobi desert.

After formulating a detailed plan, Qin Feng finally moved.

He chose the most primitive and most concealed method—traveling on foot.

His steps were light, each one landing precisely on solid rock or sandy ground, making almost no sound.

His body was slightly hunched, like a leopard stalking across the wilderness, using the shadows of every rock and every dune to perfectly hide his form.

By day, he braved the orange-yellow scorching sun, advancing through the rising heat.

By night, the temperature plummeted, and the icy wind cut like a knife across the Gobi; he would find a sheltered rocky cave to restore his energy while maintaining high vigilance.

It was a lonely and long journey.

One day, two days... seven days, eight days...

Time slipped away in the monotonous trek.

For eight whole days, Qin Feng had not taken a single drop of water.

Yet his eyes grew sharper, like a peerless deadly weapon repeatedly honed on a whetstone.

During these eight days, he had not been without gains.

He had seen from afar a patrol of over a dozen attack-type Zerg, moving like mobile fortresses of slaughter, crushing even rocks into dust in their path.

He had also sensed a terrifying psychic fluctuation from deep underground, which might be a small Zerg nest.

Each time, Qin Feng chose to evade at the first moment, patient as a seasoned hunter, never alerting the prey.

Finally, on the evening of the ninth day, as the orange-yellow sun was about to sink below the horizon, his steps came to a halt.

In the air, there was a faint, barely perceptible dampness with a sweet, bloody scent.

His mental power instantly focused to the highest degree, probing toward the source of that dampness.

At the edge of the horizon, a patch of dark green, incongruous with the surrounding barren Gobi, stubbornly came into his view.

It was a swamp!

A ripple stirred in Qin Feng's heart, but he quickly suppressed it.

He crouched low, his speed increasing rather than decreasing, like a ghostly shadow hugging the ground, silently creeping toward that oasis.

As he drew closer, the sight before him confirmed his judgment was correct.

In this swamp, covering several square kilometers, there were actually hundreds of strange ancient trees, tens of meters tall.

The trunks of these ancient trees were dark brown, with lush foliage; the broad leaves glistened with an oily green luster in the dim light.

Even more peculiar, the trees bore fruits the size of fists, emitting a faint fluorescence, from which rich life energy and psychic energy emanated.

This was indeed a perfect concentration of psychic materials.

What made his eyes narrow was that among these ancient trees, at least several dozen had been destroyed.

Their trunks were not cut by sharp tools, but snapped and torn apart by some terrifying force, the fractures jagged and still stained with disgusting mucus.

Such a crude method of collection could not be the work of any intelligent being.

It was the work of the Zerg!

And most likely, it was the trace left by transport-type Zerg collecting psychic materials.

Found it!

Qin Feng's heartbeat quickened slightly, but he immediately found a mound covered in dense shrubs at the edge of the swamp, silently infiltrating it. Using the *Imperial Meditation Method*, he lowered his own aura, heartbeat, and even body temperature to the minimum, completely merging with the surrounding environment.

Next came waiting.

He knew that since the transport bug had collected here, it would surely return.

One day...

Two days...

Three days...

Time passed second by second. The swamp was silent, except for the occasional strange calls of unknown creatures, with no other movement.

Even Qin Feng's calm, unruffled mind began to stir with a trace of doubt.

Had his judgment been wrong?

Had that group of transport bugs already moved their collection point?

Just as he was beginning to doubt and consider changing his hiding spot—

"Thump... thump... thump..."

A heavy, rhythmic vibration came from the distant Gobi, growing closer.

Qin Feng's pupils suddenly contracted. He instantly cast aside all distractions and focused all his attention on the direction of the sound.

In the distance, on the horizon, a massive black shadow was approaching rapidly.

It was solitary, with no escort beside it.

As the distance closed, the shadow's features gradually became clear.

Its body was as huge as a heavy war chariot, covered in dark purple chitinous exoskeleton, reflecting a cold metallic luster in the dim light.

Beneath its body were eight thick and powerful jointed limbs, the ends of which were not claws but a hoof-like structure extremely suited for high-speed running on complex terrain.

The most striking feature was its back, arched high like the bed of a truck.

That was not a real truck bed, but a massive carapace integrated with its body, used to carry psychic materials, covered in complex biological patterns and steam vents.

A fourth-tier elite transport-type Zerg!

It had arrived.

Qin Feng lurked in the bushes, his breathing nearly stopped, his gaze locked onto the behemoth heading toward the ancient forest, patiently waiting for the best moment for a fatal strike.

Qin Feng's breathing and heartbeat had already merged with the mound beneath him.

He was like a boulder that had slumbered for eons, devoid of life, devoid of breath, with only a pair of eyes as deep and cold as a frozen pool, reflecting the colossal creature that was now trudging with heavy steps into the swamp of ancient trees—a Level 4 Transport Bug.

He did not move.

Even as the Transport Bug began tearing at the branches of the ancient trees with its terrifying maw, devouring fruit and leaves rich in spiritual energy into the biological cargo hold on its back, producing a grating, teeth-clenching crunch, Qin Feng still did not move.

He knew this was not the right moment.

A true hunter must not only spot his prey but also understand every habit of it, striking at the moment it is most relaxed, most vulnerable, and least expecting.

He decided to follow.

Observe it, understand it, until he found the one foolproof opportunity.

The Transport Bug was highly efficient at gathering; within half an hour, it had filled its cargo hold to the brim.

It let out a satisfied, low hiss, then turned its massive body, moving its eight jointed limbs, and dashed back along the path it had come, heading deep into the Gobi.

A full ten minutes after it left, Qin Feng slipped out of the bushes like a ghost, making not a single sound.

He maintained a safe distance from the Transport Bug, using the essence of the *Wandering Dragon Body Art* to weave through the shadows of strange rocks and sand dunes, following silently.

But the most cunning and vigilant predator race in the universe was far beyond anyone’s imagination.

Just as Qin Feng had been tailing for nearly an hour, believing he had perfectly blended into the environment, a seemingly insignificant, fist-sized stone in the sand ahead came to life without warning.

It was not a stone at all, but a bug unit camouflaged to perfection!

It sprang up, its body unfolding mid-air, revealing wings as thin as cicada wings and a sharp maw. It did not attack Qin Feng but emitted a silent, mind-rending shriek!

A bug scout!

The shriek was a pheromone, an alarm, spreading instantly.

“Damn!”

Qin Feng’s pupils contracted sharply, alarm bells ringing in his mind.

Without hesitation, he abandoned all thoughts of stealth, and the power of his blood and qi exploded within him.

*Fierce Bird Step*!

His form turned into an arrow released from the string, no longer hiding, but sprinting at full speed in the opposite direction from the Transport Bug’s escape route.

Almost at the same moment he was exposed, dozens of smaller bug units burst forth from beneath the Transport Bug’s feet, from the surrounding sand, and from crevices in the rocks. They hissed and surged toward Qin Feng like a tide.

Further away, the earth began to tremble violently—a sign that the main force had been alerted.

Damn! That Transport Bug was not truly alone; around it lurked a complete, invisible network of scouts and guards.

This was nothing less than a carefully laid trap, waiting for overconfident hunters to stumble into it.

Qin Feng’s face was as calm as water, but there was no panic in his heart.

He pushed his speed to the limit, each step infused with the explosive power of the *Fierce Bird Fist*, leaving long afterimages across the wasteland.

Flee!

That was his only thought now.

The swarm behind him gave relentless chase, their shrieks rising and falling, and under the unified command of the hive mind, an invisible net was rapidly closing in.

Three full days and nights.

Qin Feng did not rest for a moment. Relying on his extraordinary stamina, far surpassing that of his peers, and the optimal escape routes provided by his S-level AI assistant Hammer, he engaged in a life-and-death chase across the vast Gobi.

Several times he narrowly avoided being surrounded, and several times, by seizing the perfect moment, he tore open a gap at the weakest point and escaped by a hair’s breadth.

It was not until dawn on the third day that the chilling sensation of pursuit behind him finally vanished completely.

He plunged deep into a massive cave, leaning against the cold stone wall, gasping heavily.

His first hunt had ended in utter failure.

Not only had he failed to harm his target, but he had nearly gotten himself killed.

This failure taught him a brutal and vivid lesson: never underestimate your enemy, especially when that enemy is the bug race.

...

On the towering black stone platform.

On the mentors’ light screens, the image of Qin Feng’s desperate flight was also fully displayed before them.

“Heh, he ran into the ‘Scout Camouflage Net.’ This kid’s luck isn’t too good,” said an old man with a goatee, Mu Lin, who was holding a gourd of wine and took a swig with a chuckle.

“Elder Mu,” said the fiery-haired female mentor Yue Hong, shaking her head with a hint of approval in her voice. “To escape from such a deadly trap, relying solely on stamina and tactical judgment, is already astonishing. Any other student would have long become bug fertilizer.”

“Yue Hong is right,” said a middle-aged mentor with a refined face and steady demeanor, Lü Lan, stroking his chin and nodding. “His physical body is incredibly strong, and his stamina far exceeds that of his peers. I wonder what kind of physical potential he has.”

Mentor Yu Han still said nothing, merely watching Qin Feng, who was sitting cross-legged to recover on the screen, a flicker of contemplation in his deep eyes.

This performance was indeed impressive, but... still insufficient to explain Elder Zhou Xiong’s unusual behavior.

Time, in its relentless passage, applied equal pressure to every examinee.

Qin Feng’s first failure seemed to mark the beginning of a difficult journey.

It took him a full ten days to recover to his peak state, and then he set out again to search for new areas rich in spiritual energy.

This time, he was even more cautious, pushing his perception to the limit, scanning every inch of land like a radar, looking for any trace that might be a bug trap.

Another ten days passed, and he finally found a rare underground river wedged between two massive mountain ranges, its banks covered with strange moss emitting spiritual energy fluctuations.

He waited there quietly for eight days.

On the evening of the eighth day, the prey finally appeared.

But when Qin Feng saw what was coming, he could only give up in frustration.

What came was not a single Transport Bug, but a procession of over a dozen, all Level 3.

Not his target.

He had to retreat silently and continue his search.

By now, a full month had passed since the assessment began.

An invisible pressure began to weigh on his heart.

After another ten-odd days of tedious searching, he finally found a vast, glowing mushroom forest deep in a huge underground cavern that had never been marked on any map.

The spiritual energy here was richer than anywhere before.

He lay low and waited patiently.

This time, it seemed the goddess of luck had finally favored him.

After only two days of waiting, a Level 4 Transport Bug, slightly smaller than the one he had first seen, wandered alone into this forest and began to feast.

Qin Feng’s heart instantly grew calm.

He absorbed all the lessons from his previous failure, suppressing his aura to an inconceivable degree.

Instead of rushing closer, he kept his distance, trailing far behind and watching intently.

He meticulously avoided the fungi that appeared ordinary but could be pheromone alarms; he exerted every ounce of effort to bypass the shadowed corners where Zerg sentinels might lurk.

In this manner, within the murky subterranean world, he followed for a full half-month.

During these fifteen days, he grasped the transport bug's operational patterns, rest habits, and even the rhythm of its every breath with absolute clarity.

Finally, late one night, when the transport bug curled its massive body beneath a giant patch of luminescent fungi and fell into a brief dormancy—

Qin Feng knew that his opportunity had arrived!

This was the only window of time he had discovered in half a month where there were no other life fluctuations within a hundred-meter radius of the target!

He moved.

Without the slightest sound, his body slid out from the shadows, his feet executing a perfect combination of the Wandering Dragon Body Technique and the Ferocious Bird Footwork, possessing both the silence of a wandering dragon and the ultimate swiftness of a ferocious bird.

A distance of a hundred meters was crossed in an instant!

The moment he closed within less than ten meters of the transport bug, the blood-qi, spirit, and will within his body violently united, pouring entirely into the level-four custom alloy spear in his hand!

Upon the spear's tip, a pinpoint of extreme cold light ignited, as if it could pierce the dark night.

This move contained everything he had learned in his life, a supreme ultimate strike of his own creation after perfectly merging the fierce killing intent of the Ferocious Bird Fist Technique with the "Streaming Light Chasing Shadows" of the Thousand Army Spear!

"Fierce Owl Chasing Shadows!"

Swoosh!

The spear transformed into a streak of soul-reaping black lightning, ignoring the distance of space to pierce with flawless precision into the transport bug's relatively weak cervical nerve center connecting its head and torso!

Puff!

A dull, sickening sound of tearing flesh rang out.

The spear, imbued with all of Qin Feng's power, successfully punctured the transport bug's hardened chitinous exoskeleton, embedding itself deeply within its head!

"Roar—!"

The agonizing pain jolted the sleeping transport bug awake; it unleashed a painful roar that shook the entire cavern, its massive body twisting frantically, smashing the surrounding fungi to pieces.

Yet, it was not dead!

The vitality of a level-four creature was tenacious beyond imagination.

Having succeeded in his strike, Qin Feng did not linger to fight; his figure exploded backward like lightning, instantly vanishing back into the darkness.

He watched the heavily wounded transport bug roar and then recklessly turn around, hurtling toward a certain exit of the cavern, his heart turning icy cold.

Qin Feng knew that this transport bug was definitely fleeing toward the nearest swarm or nest for reinforcement.

The moment it unleashed that roar, the Hive Mind had already received the alarm, and the nearby swarms were absolutely already converging on this location.

But he could not miss this opportunity!

Nearly two months had already passed.

If he failed again this time, he would very likely be eliminated for exceeding the time limit!

Heaven knew whether the next one he encountered would be a weaker level-three transport unit or a super-strong individual among the level-fours.

The heavily wounded one before his eyes was his best, and possibly his last, chance.

"Even if I encounter the swarm, with my current strength, I have the confidence to escape."

"Now that I am completely exposed, continuing to hide and evade sentinels serves no purpose at all!"

"Chase!"

With this single thought, Qin Feng no longer hesitated; he shot out from the shadows and gave chase relentlessly in the direction the transport bug had fled!

Beneath his feet, the Ferocious Bird Footwork was driven to its absolute limit, his speed incredibly fast, leaving a succession of afterimages in the complex cavern.

And though that transport bug was severely wounded, its survival instinct triggered a burst of astounding speed; its massive frame rampaged through the narrow passages, not slowing down in the slightest.

A mad pursuit unfolded in the gloomy underworld.

Fortunately, Qin Feng's fatal blow had ultimately played a decisive role.

After pursuing for a full half-day, the transport bug's speed finally slowed, its massive body beginning to totter.

Now was the time!

A cold gleam flashed in Qin Feng's eyes, his speed exploding once more as he instantly closed the distance with the target and leaped high into the air.

"Fierce Owl Chasing Shadows!"

Holding the spear with both hands, he twisted his entire body's power into a single force, using the momentum of his descent to fiercely drive the spear into the transport bug's neck, the long spear plunging straight into its body!

Crack—!

A crisp snap echoed as the rampaging power, like a mountain torrent erupting, instantly penetrated the body, completely crushing its entire life force and internal organs!

The massive transport bug crashed to the ground, showing no further signs of life.

Right at that moment, from the far end of the passage, the dense, scalp-numbing sound of the crawling swarm echoed.

Qin Feng did not linger for a second; he pulled out his spear, turned around, and fled for his life toward an exit in another direction.

Another three days passed.

Only when Qin Feng confirmed that he had completely and safely escaped did he find a hidden valley to stop.

Leaning against a tree, he exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

This hunt had cost him nearly two months of time.

Arduous, but it was a success after all.

Just then, Hammer's prompt tone echoed in his mind.

[Mission completed.]

[Time taken: One month and twenty-seven days.]

[Assessment evaluation: Excellent.]

[Please return to the G19182-B11 planetary orbit space fortress and await the deployment of the second team mission.]

Qin Feng was slightly taken aback.

Return?

How to return?

In the next second, in the sky above his head, a sci-fi styled silver small aircraft appeared silently, hovering before him.

The hatch opened, and a senior student wearing the Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University uniform smiled at him.

"Junior Qin Feng, right? Congratulations on completing the first assessment, please board the aircraft."

Qin Feng nodded, leaped up, and entered the aircraft.

The aircraft headed straight for the firmament.

Soon, the orange-yellow globe of planet G19182-B11 rapidly shrank in his vision, and a magnificent space fortress, resembling a metallic continent, appeared before his eyes.

Inside a giant deployment bay of the fortress, the senior student set Qin Feng down.

"Please rest here. The system is matching you with teammates. Once the team is assembled, the second assessment will begin immediately."

With that, the senior student piloted the aircraft and vanished once more into the void of space.

Qin Feng found a corner, crossed his legs, and sat down, seizing every second to recover his expended energy.

...

On the black platform.

The moment Qin Feng struck the transport bug with his move "Savage Owl Shadow Chase," a gleam of light lit up in the eyes of the mentors, as if by unspoken accord.

"Beautiful!"

The red-haired female mentor Yue Hong couldn't help but clap in admiration. "That 'Savage Owl Shadow Chase' was truly stunning! It perfectly merges the treacherous killing intent of the 'Savage Owl Style' with the ultimate penetrating power of 'Flowing Light Shadow Chase,' while subtly incorporating traces of both the 'Wandering Dragon' and 'Fierce Bird' body techniques. This kid has indeed carved his own path in the art of killing."

"His strength is a bit absurd."

Beside her, the sharp-eyed mentor Lü Lan spoke in a low voice. "According to system calculations, the peak force of his final strike, 'Savage Owl Shadow Chase,' reached 270,000 kilograms! That far exceeds the normal range for a third-level martial artist. His physical constitution... has already surpassed the Gold Standard Human Class III."

"Tsk tsk, he's a downright monster."

The old man Mu Lin, clutching his gourd of wine, smacked his lips.

Mu Lin pulled up the overall leaderboard, glanced at it, and said, "Seventy-second to complete the hunting mission. As of now, among the seventy-plus who have finished, fifty-seven are graduates from various military martial arts high schools. The remaining dozen or so are all seasoned fighters who have honed their skills on real battlefields for over a year."

"But those people all chased and wore down their prey. Only this little fellow Qin Feng struck with a single, devastating blow. His strength should be the strongest among this batch of freshmen."

The mentors chatted and laughed freely, sparing no praise.

Mentor Yu Han also maintained a smile, nodding in agreement from time to time.

In his heart, his appreciation for Qin Feng had grown even deeper.

Yet the doubt buried deep within him only intensified, not diminished.

A killing method at the mastery level, a monster-grade physique, top-tier mental fortitude and combat wisdom... all these combined were enough to make him one of the most outstanding talents of this cohort.

But were these truly sufficient to make the ever-busy, high-ranking Lord Zhou Xiong break the rules and personally descend his will to "rig the system"?

A physique surpassing Gold Standard Human Class III was not unheard of, and mastery-level practitioners appeared every year in considerable numbers.

Why, then, Lord Zhou Xiong?

Yu Han felt there was still something missing.

"This child must harbor a deeper secret—one that we, or rather, that I, have yet to uncover."

His gaze pierced through the light screen, settling on the young man sitting quietly in meditation within the drop pod.

(End of chapter)