Chapter 148: Disastrous Defeat in the Rookie Cup, Vitality Index Reaches 70! (Third Update)

Chapter 148: Crushing Defeat in the Rookie Cup, Vitality Index Reaches 70! (Fourth Update, Begging for Monthly Tickets~)

For seven whole days, Qin Feng immersed himself completely in the virtual recordings of those twenty-two battles.

In his dormitory, within that vast martial arts room, the holographic projection equipment ran nonstop, twenty-four hours a day.

Over and over, from the perspective of an observer, Qin Feng coolly and harshly scrutinized every subtle movement he had made in each fight, every decision's gain and loss.

He was like the most exacting chess player, endlessly reviewing his own game, searching for the tiniest flaws that might have led to defeat.

When the dawn of the seventh day streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows and spilled into the martial arts room, Qin Feng slowly shut down the holographic projection.

His eyes had grown deeper and brighter than they were seven days ago.

Though this week of review had not brought any substantial increase in his strength, it had elevated his combat awareness and understanding of his current weaknesses to an unprecedented, crystal-clear height.

He knew now in which direction he needed to strive.

"Time is almost up."

He glanced at the time on his personal terminal, then stood up and walked out of the dormitory.

Today was the official opening day of the "Canaan Rookie Cup."

...

Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University, the "Martial Combat" District.

This was one of the most magnificent and eye-catching areas of the entire campus.

All official competitions of Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University were held here.

When Qin Feng arrived, he was immediately deeply shaken by the sea of people before him, filled with fervor and passion.

The entire "Martial Combat" District was composed of enormous, ring-shaped arenas like ancient Roman colosseums.

At this moment, the freshmen were gathered in Arena No. "D-07."

Even though it was a lower-ranked venue used only for freshman competitions, its scale was hundreds of times grander than the Arctic Crown where the school league of Qiming No.1 High School had been held.

Ring-shaped stands capable of holding millions of spectators rose layer upon layer, stretching up to the clouds.

At this moment, the stands were already packed to capacity.

Countless senior students had come out of curiosity to see what "surprises" this year's freshmen might bring.

In the center of the arena, hundreds of enormous floating platforms, each wrapped in energy shields, served as the battle rings.

The entire scene combined futuristic sci-fi with primal bloodshed in a unique, violent aesthetic.

Qin Feng followed the crowd to the designated waiting area for contestants.

Here, tens of thousands of freshmen, all participating in the "Level Four Warrior Arena," had already gathered.

Every face was etched with excitement, nervousness, and a thirst for victory.

Soon, a star-level powerhouse in a referee's uniform, with a steady aura, appeared above the waiting area.

His voice, like a great bell, rang clearly in everyone's ears.

"Welcome, everyone, to the site of the 'Canaan Rookie Cup'!"

"The rules are simple!"

"All contestants will be randomly matched by the system for 1v1 arena duels!"

"The winner advances to the next round! The loser is eliminated directly!"

"It's that simple, and that cruel!"

"Now, please check your personal terminals immediately. Your first-round opponents have been matched!"

...

The cold, straightforward rules left no room for luck.

Qin Feng immediately opened his personal terminal.

A high-tech battle information window popped up.

[First Round, Arena No. 73]

[Match:]

[Qin Feng (Student ID: GY173291001) VS Zou Yun (Student ID: GY173290888)]

He glanced at his opponent's information.

Zou Yun, enrolled five years ago.

Without any hesitation, he moved and headed toward Arena No. 73.

When he stepped onto the cold platform made of hard alloy,

his opponent—a young man with a lean, sturdy build and eyes as sharp as an eagle's—was already waiting there.

The refined and powerful spiritual energy fluctuation that inadvertently emanated from him made Qin Feng's pupils contract.

This Zou Yun was strong!

His vitality index was definitely above 70! Perhaps even as high as 75!

"Match, begin!"

At the referee's command,

Zou Yun across from him moved.

He didn't use any weapon, simply took a quick step forward.

At the same time, he threw a punch.

It was just such a simple punch, yet in Qin Feng's eyes, it felt unavoidable!

He felt as if the entire space before him was instantly compressed and frozen under that fist!

An indescribable, terrifying pressure locked onto him from all directions!

Fast!

The speed of this punch was even several times faster than that time when the War Leader swung its power claw!

Qin Feng's dynamic vision couldn't even capture the trajectory of the punch!

His brain didn't even have time to react!

Weng—

The fist stopped steadily in front of Qin Feng's face.

"Excuse me, junior."

Zou Yun smiled kindly.

"Impressive."

Qin Feng felt inferior.

He could tell that this was also a perfected boxing technique, and Zou Yun had anticipated his own moves, hence that feeling of inevitability.

Moreover, Zou Yun's vitality index was far too high.

[Victor: Zou Yun.]

The cold system notification voice mercilessly declared the outcome of this duel.

Qin Feng swiftly exited the arena, eliminated in the very first round.

One move.

Again, a one-move kill.

The final tournament ranking was, naturally... tied for last place.

To participate in this event again, he would have to wait another ten years.

...

On the way back to the dormitory from the "Martial Combat" zone, Qin Feng remained silent.

In his heart, there was no discouragement from defeat, nor any shame or indignation at being killed in one move.

There was only a clear realization.

He was still too weak.

His vitality index of 50 points, his so-called "Mastery Realm" spear technique, his physical potential comparable to a "Star Beast"... in the eyes of those true "old" freshmen who had been enrolled for several years, even nearly a decade, they were utterly insignificant.

This realization, like a basin of ice water, completely extinguished the faint complacency he had felt from successfully opening two apertures.

Upon returning to the dormitory, he did not pause for a moment but immediately opened the Imperial Trading House.

He glanced at his meager balance of 31 contribution points.

Then he spent 20 points to purchase two more vials of premium psionic potions.

According to his calculations, given his current physical strength and the difficulty of opening apertures, these two vials of premium psionic potions would be just enough to fully open and fill his third "Solar Aperture."

As for the remaining 11 contribution points, he left them untouched.

This was his "reserve fund."

In case he urgently needed some essential equipment before the next mission but lacked the contribution points to buy it.

After doing all this, he once again entered that martial arts room.

Secluded training began.

...

This time, he still relied purely on the premium psionic potions.

Without the aid of mental recovery potions or deep-repair medicinal baths.

But Qin Feng gritted his teeth and persevered.

He pushed every ounce of his energy to the limit.

When four months had quietly slipped by.

When those two vials of premium psionic potions were completely consumed.

Within his inner universe, the third radiant, golden "sun" was finally successfully ignited!

Hoo—

Qin Feng sat cross-legged and exhaled a long, scorching white breath.

This white breath hung in the air without dispersing, like a white dragon that circled once before slowly fading into the atmosphere.

He could clearly feel that within his body, the three "Solar Apertures," burning fiercely like stars, were continuously releasing vast psionic energy, like warm tides nourishing his limbs and bones, making his physique stronger with every passing moment.

He opened his personal panel.

[Vitality Index: 60.21]

"Finally... broken through the 60-point mark."

A glimmer of joy flashed in Qin Feng's eyes.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and felt the terrifying power within him, several times stronger than four months ago.

Without any hesitation, Qin Feng once again connected to the Canaan Tower's challenge system.

A flash of white light.

He appeared directly in the familiar arena of the first layer, the twenty-second battle.

Across from him, the battle-hardened [Green Skin War Chief] that had once brought him endless pressure slowly rose to its feet again.

Its eyes, full of cunning and cruelty, fixedly stared at Qin Feng.

Its massive power claw, stained with dark red bloodstains, once again assumed that perfect combat stance, integrating offense and defense.

"Roar!"

This time, the War Chief attacked first!

Its colossal body, like a cannonball shot from a barrel, instantly charged before Qin Feng.

The power claw, imbued with the "Perfection Realm" killing technique, carrying the force to split mountains and sever peaks, viciously swiped at Qin Feng's head! Yet Qin Feng simply thrust his spear forward.

Clang!!!

The spear tip precisely struck the weak joint of the power claw.

A force more terrifying and condensed than the opponent's erupted violently!

The War Chief felt an irresistible power transmitted from its claw; its sure-kill strike was forcibly pushed back!

For the first time, a look of incredulous shock appeared in its eyes.

"So... that's how it is?"

Qin Feng's mind was crystal clear.

"Four months ago, I severely misjudged its strength. Now it seems its vitality index is not just around 60 points, but at least 70 points!"

"However, my current physique, thanks to the 'Star Beast Juvenile' constitution bonus, already far surpasses this Green Skin in pure attributes like strength, speed, and endurance."

"But this creature's killing technique is indeed troublesome. Its vitality is also extremely tenacious. Even though my strength can overwhelm it, killing it still requires considerable effort."

With this thought, he held nothing back.

The spear in his hand turned into a myriad of afterimages, like a raging storm, pouring down upon the War Chief!

Clang clang clang—!

Within the arena, the sound of metal clashing rang incessantly.

After nearly a minute of fierce combat, under Qin Feng's relentless and violent assault, the War Chief finally, due to exhaustion, revealed a fatal flaw.

Qin Feng seized the opportunity, using a "Fierce Owl Shadow Chase" to pierce through its eye socket from an extremely tricky angle, shattering its brain.

[Challenge Successful!]

As Qin Feng watched the War Chief slowly dissolve into particles of light, his heart was filled with emotion.

Four months ago, he had been utterly powerless before this opponent.

And now, merely by opening an additional "Great Sun Aperture," he had been able to slay it within a single minute.

"Now, my vitality index is no longer my shortcoming. Instead... my killing techniques seem somewhat deficient."

Qin Feng realized his predicament with profound clarity.

"My 'library of materials' is simply too meager! Facing various enemies, I return time and again to only those few moves. This severely limits the deployment of my Control Realm strength!"

"I must learn a vast number of new killing techniques as soon as possible to replenish my library of materials!"

"At the very least, offense, footwork, and defense must each have a top-tier killing technique as their core!"

With these thoughts in mind, he did not pause for a moment, continuing his challenge toward the higher floors.

The twenty-third battle...

The twenty-fourth battle...

...

The thirty-first battle...

Like a hot knife through butter, Qin Feng breached another ten battles in succession!

Until the thirty-second battle.

He came to a halt once more.

The opponent in the thirty-second battle was still a Greenskin Assault Squad.

However, this time, it was no longer three weak Greenskin Boyz.

Instead, it was three Greenskin Elite Veterans whose auras were several times more terrifying than that War Boss!

The cooperation among the three had reached absolute perfection.

Their vitality index was extremely high!

Their power and speed had completely crushed the current Qin Feng!

The moment the battle commenced, Qin Feng could not even discern their movements clearly.

He felt his body, simultaneously, torn to shreds from three different directions by three irresistible, titanic forces.

He could not endure it; he could not endure it at all.

When Qin Feng's consciousness returned once more from that virtual arena filled with the scent of rust and gunpowder to his quiet and luxurious dormitory, a trace of deep helplessness and bitterness appeared on his usually calm face for the first time.

The sensation of being instantly killed was far from pleasant.

Particularly after he believed his strength had made considerable strides, to be crushed once again in a manner where he had no power to strike back.

He did not even attempt a second challenge.

For he understood very well that it was utterly meaningless.

Confronting those three Greenskin Elite Veterans in the thirty-second battle of the Canaan Tower, who cooperated flawlessly and possessed an absolute, chasm-like dominance over him in power and speed, any combat technique or fighting will appeared pale and ridiculous.

This was no longer a disparity that could be bridged by mere execution.

It was a pure, statistical, naked abyss.

"Only when my comprehensive strength—that is, 'physical fitness' combined with 'killing technique realm'—can surpass my opponent, will it be possible for me to defeat them."

He glanced at his personal terminal.

[Contribution Value Balance: 21 points.]

Looking at these hard-won 21 points of contribution value, Qin Feng revealed a smile.

"What should I do next?"

Without the slightest hesitation, he made his decision immediately.

Continue cultivating!

Continue opening apertures!

Continue elevating his most fundamental and crucial hard strength—his vitality index!

Once more, he opened the interface of the Imperial Exchange, and without hesitation, exchanged those 20 points of contribution value that had just arrived and were not yet warm back into two vials of Premium Psionic Elixir.

Then, he stepped into the martial arts room once again.

Once again, he began that dry, prolonged retreat of bitter cultivation.

...

Time, like flowing sand between fingers, slipped away quietly and inadvertently.

This retreat was even more prolonged.

Just as Qin Feng had anticipated.

When he began to assault the fourth "Great Sun Aperture," he clearly felt that both the difficulty of "locating the aperture" and the complexity of "constructing the aperture shell" had advanced by more than a single grade compared to before.

His flesh, having experienced three psionic baptisms, had become resilient to an inconceivable degree.

To carve out a new realm upon this increasingly "hardened" soil, the mental focus and energy he needed to expend also multiplied geometrically.

Ultimately, he spent a full four and a half months and exhausted those two precious vials of Premium Psionic Elixir before finally succeeding in lighting the fourth radiant, golden "sun" within his body.

When the new round of even more violent psionic baptism concluded.

Qin Feng slowly awakened from his deep meditation.

Feeling the boundless, surging power radiating from the four "Great Sun Apertures" within his body like a vast ocean, a trace of undeniable exhaustion flashed in his eyes, yet it was overwhelmed by the joy of harvest.

He opened his personal status panel.

[Vitality Index: 70.34]

"Finally... I have broken through the 70-point threshold."

He exhaled a long, turbid breath, his face displaying a trace of complex emotion.

"The difficulty of opening apertures is indeed growing greater and greater."

"Opening the third aperture took me only four months. Yet this fourth one took a full four and a half months."

"Moreover, I can clearly feel that as my physical body grows continuously stronger, the filling effect of the Premium Psionic Elixir on the apertures has also begun to decline. I estimate that by the time I begin to assault the fifth aperture, two vials of Premium Psionic Elixir might not even be enough to fill it completely."

"The demand for resources will only snowball, growing larger and larger."

He glanced at the date on his personal terminal, and a trace of trance inevitably arose in his heart once more.

This retreat, combined with the previous tower run and participation in the Rookie Cup, had consumed nearly another five months.

By this calculation, a full fifteen Imperial Months had already passed since he entered the Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts Academy.

More than a year of time had thus quietly vanished amidst dry cultivation and cruel reality.

Just as he was filled with myriad emotions, his personal terminal suddenly emitted a crisp notification chime.

He opened it to look, and a genuine, brilliant smile immediately spread across his face.

[System Notification: Your daily mission list has been refreshed.]

"Haha."

Qin Feng's mood instantly lifted.

"The daily quests have refreshed again! More contribution points to earn!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Qin Feng had Hammer filter and plan out all the daily quests he could take on.

Then, once more brimming with enthusiasm, he strode out of his dormitory and threw himself into the great, "down-to-earth" endeavor of "working for a living."

...

Over the next two months, Qin Feng's life once again fell into a fast-paced, disciplined, and fulfilling rhythm.

Sometimes, he would appear in a public training ground scarred by battle, transforming into a diligent "janitor," meticulously cleaning up the remnants of violent energy.

Sometimes, in a classroom of an affiliated middle school, he would become a patient yet stern "substitute teacher," imparting the most standard body-tempering techniques to younger students full of curiosity and admiration.

Sometimes, he would become a brave "explorer," diving into the deep sea or scaling snowy mountains, just to collect the various peculiar spiritual plants listed on his task sheets.

He even took on a "temporary bodyguard" mission, protecting a somewhat eccentric fourth-level pharmacist as they ventured into a dangerous meteorite belt to mine a special ore called "Star Marrow."

Though the process was fraught with twists and unexpected turns, he ultimately relied on his strength, far surpassing that of his peers, to complete every mission safely, albeit with some close calls.

After two months had passed,

Qin Feng returned to his dormitory on "Star-Gazing Cliff."

The contribution point balance in his personal account, which had been drained dry by purchasing potions, was once again plentiful.

[Contribution Point Balance: 31 points.]

Staring at this hard-earned "fortune," Qin Feng felt a deep sense of accomplishment.

But this time, unlike before, he didn't immediately pour all his contribution points into his cultivation.

He had a mission to carry out; these contribution points needed to be saved up to buy a combat technique.

Qin Feng silently calculated his contribution points, suddenly thinking of his father, far away on Qiming Star.

His father had lost his right arm forever due to the wars of yesteryear.

Once upon a time, he had been powerless to change that.

But now, he was a member of Canaan Star Martial Arts University, and he had the ability to change it all!

"A Regeneration Potion for 200 contribution points..."

"Now, I've successfully established myself at Canaan Star Martial Arts University."

"Though I'm still poor, I've found a stable path to earn contribution points."

"I hope that before the next 'Canaan Freshman Cup' begins, I can use the contribution points I've earned myself to buy the Regeneration Potion for my father!"

(End of chapter)