Chapter 147: Assessment Passed, Battle Canaan Tower Again, Harvesting Contribution Points

Chapter 147: Assessment Passed, Battle at Canaan Tower Again, Harvesting Contribution Points (Third Update, Begging for Monthly Tickets~)

Qin Feng cast his gaze toward the three across from him: Xiong Yanfu, Lei Meng, and Tie Mu.

Sure enough.

These three equally proud "Star General"-level geniuses, after a brief moment of contemplation, simultaneously revealed a smile brimming with challenge and fighting spirit—identical in its essence.

"Hehe."

Xiong Yanfu scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, and said, "Well... I also applied to the 'Fearless War Group.'"

"Same here!"

Lei Meng followed suit, slapping his solid chest forcefully and rumbling, "If we're joining, we join the strongest! It doesn't cost anything to try, and who knows, maybe we'll pass?"

Finally, Tie Mu, though silent, simply displayed on his personal terminal the same cold, automated reply email from the "Fearless War Group Application Office" for all to see.

The answer was clear.

Four people, four applications, with a startlingly unified goal.

— Canaan Star Martial University, ranked first, the Fearless War Group!

"Ha ha ha ha—!"

After seeing each other's choices, the four exchanged glances and burst into hearty, youthful laughter.

Perhaps this was the tacit understanding of geniuses, and their pride as well.

Even though they had just been "beaten down" by society, sweeping streets and doing manual labor for a mere few dozen contribution points;

Even though they knew well the vast gap between themselves and the true senior students.

Still, the unyielding pride of being "Star Generals," the refusal to lag behind, had not yet been ground down by this harsh reality.

If they were to choose, naturally, they would pick the strongest!

"Great! Since we all share the same goal, why not seize the day? Let's go together now and see what this top-ranked war group is all about!"

Xiong Yanfu proposed enthusiastically.

"Let's go!"

Lei Meng and Tie Mu responded immediately.

Without further ado, the four settled their bill and left.

They opened the navigation system on their personal terminals and entered the coordinates for the "Fearless" district.

But they found that the place was extremely far from their current "Food God" district.

Even taking the fastest campus public shuttle would take several hours.

"Too far," Lei Meng said.

"What's there to fear?" Xiong Yanfu chuckled, pointing to a public teleportation point nearby. "Don't forget, we're still inside the Canaan Star Martial University campus. As long as we don't leave the base area, subspace teleportation is free to use!"

As he spoke, he deftly operated his personal terminal.

"Here we go!"

With a press of the confirm button, a silver-white teleportation ring, shimmering with spatial energy fluctuations, lit up beneath their feet.

The next second, the surroundings shattered and reassembled like broken glass.

When their vision cleared, they found themselves in a vast new area filled with iron-and-blood architecture.

This was the "Fearless" district.

Unlike the bustling, life-filled "Food God" district, everything here seemed born for war.

The architectural style of the entire area was rugged and hard, like a military fortress.

Giant factories belched thick smoke; on the boundless training grounds, deafening explosions and shouts rang out from time to time;

In the sky, instead of the small, delicate public shuttles, armed shuttles painted with the emblem of the Fearless War Group streaked by, exuding a streamlined, murderous aesthetic.

And the warriors coming and going put immense pressure on Qin Feng and his companions.

Every person here, male or female, exuded a tangible, icy, and fierce killing intent.

Their eyes were sharp as knives, their steps steady as mountains, as if they were about to charge into a battlefield of blood and fire.

Even more terrifying was their overwhelming aura.

Qin Feng could sense that several figures who brushed past him had life force indices far exceeding his own.

"Damn... are all the people here this fierce?"

Lei Meng couldn't help muttering under his breath, his voice filled with awe.

The four dared not linger. They followed the navigation to a magnificent building at the center of the district, a structure like a black giant sword piercing the clouds.

— The Fearless War Group Assessment Headquarters.

They entered the door and arrived at a spacious, bright reception hall.

A duty senior, looking young and bored, was lazily scrolling through a light screen behind the counter. He lifted his eyelids languidly.

"Something?"

"Hello, senior."

Xiong Yanfu quickly put on a smile, stepped forward, and said, "We're new students who just received the notification for the group entry assessment. We'd like to ask about the specific process."

"Oh? New students?"

A hint of interest flickered across the duty senior's face.

He looked them over and then asked, "What level of martial artists are you? Have you submitted your applications on your personal terminals?"

"Yes, senior, we've all submitted," Xiong Yanfu replied promptly. "We're all new students who enrolled less than a year ago, and we're currently fourth-level martial artists."

Hearing the words "fourth-level martial artists," the senior's eyebrows involuntarily lifted slightly.

He leaned back in his chair, scrutinizing the four with a slightly appraising gaze, then said unhurriedly:

"Well... I need to make this clear to you in advance. Our 'Fearless War Group,' in principle, does not recruit fourth-level martial artists. After all, the tasks of the war group, whether internal or external, are of high danger. Fourth-level martial artists, in most cases, can't even protect themselves. Recruiting them would only make them cannon fodder."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, freezing the smiles on Xiong Yanfu and Lei Meng's faces.

"But..."

The senior changed his tone, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "In principle, it's not allowed; in practice, it is. Rules are dead, but people are alive. Our 'Fearless War Group' doesn't accept ordinary people, but we never turn away true geniuses."

He raised two fingers.

"To join our 'Fearless War Group' as a fourth-level martial artist, you must meet the following two conditions simultaneously:

"First, killing techniques. You must have mastered at least six first-level killing techniques at the 'Perfection' level. Or, one of your killing techniques has broken through 'Perfection' and reached the 'Mastery' realm.

"Second, physical aptitude. Your physical potential must reach at least 'Gold Standard Human Class I' or above."

"These two conditions, we will test on the spot, immediately. If either one fails to meet the standard, then you can turn around and leave right now."

His words were resolute, leaving no room for negotiation whatsoever.

In an instant, Lei Meng and Xiong Yanfu's faces completely fell.

Both of them, whether in terms of killing technique realm or physical potential, were far from meeting these two harsh conditions.

Beside them, Tie Mu furrowed his brow, a hint of regret flickering across his face.

His physical potential had already reached the "Gold Standard Human Class I" during the entrance test, satisfying the second condition.

But in terms of killing techniques, he had only cultivated five techniques to perfection so far.

Just one short!

Yet if he spent a few more months perfecting a sixth killing technique, he could legitimately pass the assessment and join this top-ranked battle group of Canaan Starry Sky University!

But now, he could only be turned away.

Just as the three were wallowing in frustration or regret, Qin Feng's voice rang out.

"Senior, I meet the conditions. I can undergo the on-site test right now."

It was Qin Feng who spoke.

"Oh?"

The senior on duty showed a hint of genuine curiosity and surprise.

He looked at Qin Feng with interest and nodded.

"Good! Confidence is a good thing. State your name and student ID; I'll check your admission records first."

"Qin Feng, student ID GY173291001."

When Qin Feng gave his name, the senior on duty only found it vaguely familiar.

He entered the name into the query system, and when he saw Qin Feng's entrance exam results pop up on the screen, the corner of his mouth twitched violently.

His expression changed instantly.

He muttered under his breath, almost unconsciously:

"Damn... where did this freak come from."

"This... this physical aptitude is just too absurd..."

He lifted his head abruptly, forced a smile that looked more like a grimace at Qin Feng, and waved his hand.

"Ahem... well, Junior Qin Feng, is it? I won't test your physical aptitude. Come on, a beast who blew up the testing pod during the entrance exam—this data is definitely solid."

"Just go ahead and demonstrate your killing techniques."

He stood up and made a "please" gesture.

"Just practice in the dedicated martial arts room over there; I can accurately judge the level of your techniques."

"Alright."

Qin Feng nodded without saying much.

The four followed the senior, whose attitude had done a complete 180, into a pure-white, standalone martial arts room brimming with futuristic technology.

Qin Feng walked to the center of the room. With a thought, the fourth-grade alloy spear that had accompanied him for so long appeared in his hand.

He didn't strike immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes first and adjusted his breathing.

When he opened his eyes again, a fierce, unparalleled killing intent, as if it would tear the whole world apart, erupted from him!

He stepped with the Fierce Bird Footwork, his form vanishing like a ghost in an instant!

The next second, he appeared at the other end of the martial arts room, in front of a black humanoid target made of special energy-absorbing material, used specifically for testing attack strength.

The spear in his hand transformed into a soul-seizing black lightning bolt!

"Fierce Harrier Shadow Strike!"

Whoosh!

This thrust was supremely fast, supremely fierce!

It didn't even make a sound of cutting through the air!

When the spear tip precisely touched the target's forehead.

"Mastery level!"

"Excellent thrust!"

The senior on duty, seeing this, could no longer stay calm.

His eyes flashed with brilliance, and he exclaimed in admiration!

Behind him, Lei Meng and Tie Mu, though they had already witnessed Qin Feng's godlike spear technique on the battlefield earlier, were still profoundly shaken at such close range, feeling that terrifying killing intent that seemed to freeze their very souls.

As for Xiong Yanfu beside them, it was his first time experiencing the "Mastery level" so directly.

He stared at the figure standing spear in hand, poised like a mountain, and only one thought remained in his mind—this was the insurmountable gap between himself and a true top-tier prodigy!

The Mastery level was too difficult.

It required not just painstaking practice but also that rare flash of inspiration!

"Good, good, good! Enough! Enough!"

The senior on duty waved his hand repeatedly, signaling Qin Feng to put away his spear.

His face was now full of warm smiles.

"Junior Qin Feng, this one thrust is enough! I declare your assessment a perfect pass!"

He immediately took out a data pad and began processing Qin Feng's entry into the group.

"Come, register your student ID and some personal info. From now on, you are a proud member of our 'Fearless Battle Group'!"

"Oh, by the way."

He added while operating, "According to our group's rules, any newcomer who passes the entry assessment gets a reward of 10 contribution points. The system will transfer it directly to your personal account shortly. Keep an eye out."

"Alright."

Qin Feng nodded slightly, pleased inside.

10 contribution points credited!

Nice.

After he finished registering all his personal information, his personal terminal immediately received several new notifications.

Besides the credit of 10 contribution points, a new app icon—a giant sword wreathed in flames, the "Fearless Battle Group Exclusive Private Domain"—appeared in his application list.

In the private domain, he could view all public info of group members, accept exclusive internal missions, and freely team up and communicate with countless powerful seniors.

"Junior Qin Feng, a few words of advice from me as a senior."

After finishing the paperwork, the senior on duty's tone became more earnest.

"If you plan to take on missions in the future, I personally suggest teaming up with members of our group. Although team missions yield fewer contribution points due to distribution compared to solo runs, it's safer overall."

You must understand, the school does not care whether a student lives or dies while carrying out a mission. Every year, countless self-proclaimed geniuses perish in all sorts of missions due to recklessness. This is a brutally harsh rule, part of the school's system for training students.

"But our war band will care!"

His words brimmed with the powerful confidence and pride that belonged to the "Fearless War Band."

"If you truly encounter a high-difficulty mission that you cannot solve alone, you can even spend a certain amount of contribution points in the war band's private domain to post a 'War Band Bodyguard' mission. Then, naturally, some powerful senior students will accept your mission and take you along. Ensuring you return alive is absolutely no problem."

"Of course, all of this still depends on how you calculate costs and benefits. If you have absolute confidence in your own strength, then going solo is fine too."

"Remember, at Canaan Starry Sky Martial University, safety is the first principle in everything."

"After all, we are still within the empire's territory, still in the 'newbie village.' When you later truly step onto that bloody cosmic battlefield where myriad races contend, then you will truly have to rely only on yourselves. There, even the subspace teleportation we rely on most cannot be used."

His words sent a slight chill through Qin Feng's heart.

So subspace teleportation could only be used within the relatively stable and safe territory of the empire.

Once you left the empire's protection and stepped into that dark forest full of the unknown and danger... then every step would be a true test of life and death.

No wonder Canaan Starry Sky Martial University did not provide mission protection for students.

Only martial artists who grew up amidst blood and fire could face that brutal battlefield of myriad races! When that medal engraved with the burning giant sword emblem, representing the formal membership of the "Fearless War Band," was personally pinned to his chest by the extremely enthusiastic duty senior, the eyes of Xiong Yanfu, Lei Meng, and Tiemu beside him all revealed sincere envy and blessings, free of any impurity.

"Brother Qin, congratulations!"

Lei Meng was the first to step forward, patting Qin Feng's shoulder vigorously, his voice loud and clear.

Though there was still a trace of dejection on his face from being eliminated, it was more overshadowed by the frank joy for his friend.

"Truly worthy of you! This top-ranked war band of Canaan Starry Sky Martial University, you joined it just like that!"

"Yeah."

Xiong Yanfu also walked over, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "It seems the gap between us and you is bigger than we imagined. Lei Meng and I are completely out of luck. We plan to try other top-ten war bands later; their recruitment standards should be a bit lower than 'Fearless.' If we still can't pass, then there's no choice. We'll have to adjust our mindset and honestly go back to seclusion for training."

Finally, Tiemu looked at Qin Feng, his eyes full of high-spirited fighting spirit.

"Qin Feng, wait for me."

He said, word by word, with unwavering determination.

"I'm going back to seclusion right now! Once I cultivate my sixth killing technique to perfection, I will definitely come back here and pass the assessment! I, Tiemu, will surely become a member of the 'Fearless War Band'!"

His words were forceful and resolute, full of the unyielding perseverance belonging to a soldier.

Qin Feng nodded and said, "Next, I will first sign up for the 'Canaan Freshman Cup' that starts in a month. In these seven days, if I can find a suitable mission, I'll execute it once to earn some contribution points. If not, then forget it."

"Good!"

"Go for it!"

"Mutual encouragement!"

The four of them high-fived each other, setting their respective short-term goals.

Then, everyone dispersed.

Xiong Yanfu and Lei Meng went together to challenge other top war bands;

Tiemu, unwilling to waste a single moment, teleported directly back to his dormitory to begin a new round of seclusion and hard training.

As for Qin Feng, he also activated subspace teleportation, preparing to return to his own "dormitory."

However, when the light of teleportation faded, he found that he had not appeared on the familiar floating island on the 1923rd layer of "Stargazing Cliff," but had been teleported to the public teleportation point of the "Stargazing Cliff" area.

A new notification also appeared on his personal terminal.

[Notice: To ensure the absolute privacy and safety of students, all personal dormitory areas are set with spatial locks. Except for the owner, any unauthorized teleportation will be intercepted. Please return to your dormitory on your own and pass identity verification to enter.]

"I see."

Qin Feng understood.

After returning to that familiar, luxurious floating island, Qin Feng did not rush to look for a mission.

He thought for a moment. There were still seven full days before the "Canaan Freshman Cup" began.

This amount of time was far too short for seclusion training that often lasted months.

He did not like having his training rhythm interrupted by external matters without reason.

In that case, why not...

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

Why not first challenge that place where he had once been defeated—the Canaan Tower!

He wanted to personally experience how much his five months of hard training, this surge in life index to 50 points, had brought him a transformation that was nothing short of a complete rebirth!

If there was still time left after climbing the tower, he would then see if there were any suitable short-term missions that could be completed quickly to earn some contribution points.

With the plan set, he hesitated no longer.

"Hammer, help me select the challenge: Canaan Tower, First Floor, First Battle."

"Command received. Connecting you to the subspace virtual battlefield..."

A flash of white light.

The familiar huge arena, filled with the smell of rust and gunpowder, once again appeared before Qin Feng.

Across from him, that towering figure over three meters tall, which had once brought him endless pressure and a sense of powerlessness, slowly stood up again.

Level Four, Greenskin!

It still wore that iconic "Waaagh!" smile, full of bloodlust and frenzy.

It still carried that huge, crude cleaver that seemed capable of splitting heaven and earth.

Everything seemed like a replay of that nightmare from five months ago.

However, this time, Qin Feng's state of mind was worlds apart.

There was no trace of gravity or tension on his face; instead, it was replaced by an absolute, all-encompassing confidence.

"Roar—!"

The Greenskin across from him moved.

Like a cannonball leaving the barrel, it instantly crossed a distance of tens of meters.

The cleaver in its hand, still accompanied by a piercing shriek as it tore through the air, came crashing down with a brutal, overwhelming force!

The same scene, the same move.

But in Qin Feng's eyes, the entire world had become completely different.

Last time, he only felt that the opponent's speed was extreme, so fast that his dynamic vision could barely keep up, forcing him to rely on combat instinct to barely make a blocking motion.

But now...

He felt that this Greenskin's movements were so slow.

Yes, slow.

He could even clearly see its thick green muscles trembling violently from the high-speed running.

He could see the subtle energy trails left by the swing of its massive decapitating axe.

He could see, within that seemingly flawless, earth-shattering chop, at least seven or eight fatal flaws that could be exploited.

Last time, he had only felt that the opponent’s strength was an overwhelming, terrifying force, enough to crush him and his spear into dust.

But now…

He merely raised the fourth-grade alloy longspear in his hand slightly upward.

No flashy killing moves, just the simplest, most direct parry.

Clang——!!!

A crisp, melodious sound of metal striking metal, like a bell tolling, rang throughout the arena.

The massive decapitating axe that had once bent his spear into a “U” shape, the moment it touched his spear shaft, was rebounded with a force even more terrifying and condensed, sent flying back!

And Qin Feng’s body stood as steady as Mount Tai, unmoving!

“So this is the enhancement brought by opening two apertures?”

Qin Feng’s heart was filled with understanding.

This was not merely an increase in strength and speed.

It was a leap in life level—comprehensive and multifaceted—encompassing endurance, resilience, neural reaction speed, and even dynamic vision.

“Time to end this.”

Qin Feng gave the Greenskin youth, who was momentarily stunned by having his full-force strike so easily deflected, no chance to react.

He shifted his footing slightly.

The longspear in his hand transformed into a black furious dragon sweeping across an army!

“Thousands of troops, flee before me!”

Boom——!

The savage, unmatched power, like a mountain torrent bursting forth, slammed violently into the Greenskin youth’s waist and abdomen.

That burly figure couldn’t even let out a proper cry of anguish before it was blasted away like a bowling pin struck down. Its massive body disintegrated midair, scattering into countless specks of light.

Effortless. Graceful.

One strike, instant kill!

[You have passed the first battle of Canaan Tower’s first floor.]

[Reward: 1 Contribution Point.]

[Proceed to the second battle?]

“Yes.”

Qin Feng’s answer came without a moment’s hesitation.

…

The challenges that followed, for the reborn Qin Feng, became a thoroughly satisfying, one-sided massacre.

Second battle, [Greenskin Mek], pierced through the head with a single spear thrust.

Third battle, [Warboss], tendons in hands and feet severed within three spear strikes, then easily slaughtered.

Fourth battle, [Weirdboy], its proud, eerie psychic assault felt like a gentle breeze against his “Nail of Favor”; he closed in and crushed its head with a single punch.

…

He advanced like a splitting bamboo, sweeping all before him.

Those various fourth-grade Greenskin units that had once seemed insurmountable were now, before his “Realm of Mastery” spear technique and absolute strength of 50 Vitality Index, as fragile as paper.

Until he reached the eleventh battle.

Pressure began to appear.

The opponent in the eleventh battle was a [Tankbusta].

In its hands was no longer a melee weapon, but a massive rocket launcher brimming with brutal aesthetics.

The high-explosive rockets it fired were devastating; each one could shake his Qi-Blood Barrier violently.

Qin Feng expended some effort, relying on his far superior speed, to dodge several close calls before finally closing in and slaying it.

From this battle onward, every subsequent fight became less and less easy.

Fifteenth battle, [Squig Rider], its terrifying charge forced him to temporarily avoid its edge.

Eighteenth battle, [Greenskin Kommando], a squad of three Greenskins working in perfect sync gave him his first taste of troublesome pressure.

He challenged it three full times before, at the cost of minor injuries, he managed to annihilate them all.

And when he finally fought through thorns and brambles to reach the twenty-second battle,

Qin Feng encountered a wall he could not surmount.

The opponent in the twenty-second battle was a true, battle-hardened [Greenskin Warboss]!

It was utterly different from the Greenskins that fought purely on instinct!

Its height exceeded four meters, its muscles were like cast steel, bursting with explosive power.

But the most terrifying thing was not its size—it was its eyes!

Those eyes were filled with cunning, cruelty, and rich combat wisdom!

The moment it saw Qin Feng, it did not charge recklessly like other Greenskins.

Instead, it crouched slightly, holding its massive power claw, stained with dark red blood, before it in a perfect, offensive-defensive combat stance.

Qin Feng could clearly sense that this Warboss exuded a condensed, savage “aura” unique to killing arts!

Though crude and wild, it was undoubtedly a powerful killing art that had reached the “Perfection” realm!

Greenskins could also practice killing arts!

Qin Feng took a deep breath and initiated the attack.

Yet the ensuing battle made him taste “despair” once more.

This Warboss’s Vitality Index had definitely exceeded 60 points—how much more, uncertain.

Its strength was far greater than his!

Even more terrifying was its immense combat wisdom!

No matter how exquisite or bizarre his spear techniques were, the Warboss could effortlessly neutralize them with its massive power claw in a seemingly clumsy yet profoundly refined manner.

On offense, he could not break its defense.

On defense, he could not withstand its heavy, power-packed counterattacks infused with the “Perfection” realm killing art!

After a grueling battle of over ten minutes, Qin Feng, ultimately exhausted, was caught in a flaw by the Warboss, who crushed his head with its power claw.

[Challenge Failed.]

When Qin Feng’s consciousness returned to reality, his face was etched with gravity.

He glanced at his personal terminal.

【Contribution Points Balance: 31 points.】

Initial 10 points + 21 points from clearing 21 floors of the tower.

“Though I failed, the harvest is still decent.”

“But this Canaan Tower truly is a proving ground meant for real monsters. The difficulty is just too great.”

Qin Feng sighed with heartfelt emotion.

He checked the time and realized that merely clearing these twenty-two floors had already consumed nearly an entire day.

Qin Feng asked Hammer to help him filter through the task list.

In the end, he found no suitable high-reward tasks that could be completed in a short time.

He simply decided not to go out anymore.

Qin Feng would use the remaining time of these seven days to do one thing.

—Review.

He sat in his martial arts room, watching the recordings of his twenty-two battles over and over again.

Especially the later ones, where he had won with increasing difficulty.

“Greenskin Orcs—this race is by no means a stupid one.”

Watching the recordings, he saw the various, imaginative war machines displayed by those greenskin units, and the war boss’s “Perfection Realm” killing technique, brimming with wild beauty—his heart filled with vigilance.

“Their knowledge, whether of killing techniques or psychic constructs, is passed down directly through genetic information. That is to say, every unit that can stand out from the brutal greenskin society and grow to the ‘boss’ level possesses combat intelligence that must never be underestimated.”

“In the future, if I encounter greenskins on a real battlefield, I must not have even a shred of contempt.”

He quietly watched his battle recordings and soon discovered more and more issues.

“My attack methods are still too monotonous. Though I have ‘Mastery Realm’ spear techniques, they still feel somewhat inadequate when facing an opponent like that war boss—one whose pure strength and defense far surpass mine.”

“And then, my defense…”

His gaze locked onto his technique, “Thousand Troops Escort.”

“‘Thousand Troops Escort,’ though exquisite, excels at ‘deflecting force’ and ‘parrying.’ When facing that kind of absolute, unreasonable crushing power, it’s already starting to fall short.”

“For my next killing technique, I must learn a true one—renowned for pure defensive power, capable of withstanding damage head-on!”

(End of chapter)