Chapter 149: Zou Yun Convinced! The Defeated Opponent Improves So Fast!

Chapter 149: Zou Yun Bows in Admiration! A Former Defeated Foe Has Improved So Quickly! (Fifth Update for Monthly Ticket Bonus, Begging for Monthly Tickets~)

Before him, the holographic screen cascaded like a waterfall, data and text interwoven into a dazzling ocean of light.

This was the Imperial Mission Platform, a vast repository teeming with countless opportunities and challenges.

“Hammer, begin filtering.”

Qin Feng issued the command.

“Command confirmed. Recording user’s current physiological data…”

Hammer’s voice rang out, and a barely perceptible blue beam shot from the top of the screen, scanning Qin Feng’s body with precision.

[Vitality Index: 70.34]

[Martial Artist Rank: Fourth-Level Acupoint-Opening Martial Artist]

[Killing Technique Realm Assessment: Mastery (Thousand Army Spear, Fierce Bird Fist)]

[Physique Potential Assessment: Surpasses Golden Standard Human III, Similar Model: Juvenile Star Beast]

[Comprehensive Combat Evaluation: Extremely High Threat]

“Data recording complete. Now matching tasks based on user’s current strength level…”

Buzz!

The screen before him flashed violently, and the originally chaotic torrent of data was instantly organized into a clear order.

Yet, this so-called “clear order” was only relative.

A list labeled [Personal Available Tasks] unfolded before Qin Feng, and the string of astronomical zeros after the total page count was enough to make any claustrophobic faint on the spot.

Billions of pages!

Such was the scale of Canaan Starry Sky Martial University.

The tasks posted, completed, or failed here each day outnumbered the stars themselves.

Without the efficient filtering logic of an S-class intelligent assistant, a freshman would find it nearly impossible to locate a suitable task.

“Hammer, secondary filter. Task type: ‘Team’.”

“Command confirmed. Executing secondary filter…”

The data on the screen scrolled wildly again, the page count visibly plummeting, but the final number that settled was still a behemoth.

“Good.”

“Sort by ‘Contribution Value’ in descending order.”

He had just opened the four “Great Sun Acupoints,” breaking through the 70-point vitality threshold, and his strength was now worlds apart from the Freshman Cup months ago.

In Qin Feng’s view, taking on tasks precisely matched to his vitality index—around 70 points—would be easy to complete, so the higher the contribution reward, the better.

“Sorting complete.”

The task list interface refreshed abruptly, and the topmost task instantly seized all of Qin Feng’s attention.

[Task Name: Hunt Down ‘Bloodhand’ Rogge]

[Task Type: Team (No Size Limit)]

[Task Objective: In the ‘Chaos Rock’ asteroid belt, hunt down the Imperial fugitive ‘Bloodhand’ Rogge. This individual’s vitality index is estimated at 55+, suspected of mastering three perfected killing techniques, cruel and heinous.]

[Task Reward: 100 Contribution Points (Shared by Team)]

100 Contribution Points!

To Qin Feng, this was a fortune!

“This is the one!”

Without hesitation, Qin Feng focused his mental energy, his will transforming into an invisible arrow that shot fiercely toward the flashing button.

But in that instant, just as his intent was about to touch it—

“Beep—This task has already been accepted.”

A cold red prompt appeared, and the [Hunt Down ‘Bloodhand’ Rogge] task instantly turned gray, vanishing from the top of the list.

Qin Feng was taken aback.

Everyone snatched them up this fast?!

Qin Feng grew more focused.

A brand-new task appeared at the top of the list without warning.

[Emergency Rescue Mission: Purify ‘Stellar Wanderer-7’]

[Task Type: Team (Standard 4-Person Squad)]

[Task Background: The luxury shuttle ‘Stellar Wanderer-7’ encountered a subspace turbulence during its jump. A passenger is suspected to be a secret follower of ‘Nurgle,’ and the virus they carried spread massively within the ship, causing numerous crew and passengers to undergo ‘corpse transformation.’ The shuttle has disengaged from the jump and crash-landed on a satellite orbit, but internal communications are completely cut off. According to the last distress signal, a few martial arts students are still holding out in a defensive formation inside the shuttle and urgently need rescue.]

[Task Objectives: 1. Clear all corpse-transformed entities within the shuttle; 2. Rescue survivors; 3. Recover the shuttle’s flight recorder.]

[Task Requirement: Must arrive at the mission location via subspace teleportation within ten minutes.]

[Task Reward: 100 Contribution Points (Distributed intelligently by the task recorder)]

Nurgle!

Seeing that word, Qin Feng’s pupils contracted sharply.

It was him, again!

From the fallen veteran Kro on the planet “Purgatory-IV” to this virus-contaminated shuttle, the shadow of this god of decay and despair seemed to be everywhere.

Qin Feng did not hesitate for a moment.

He had witnessed Kro’s terrifying, nearly unkillable tenacity, and his understanding of Nurgle’s followers and their creations ran far deeper than that of most students at his level.

This knowledge was his advantage!

“You’re the one!”

The moment the task appeared, Qin Feng accepted it immediately.

“Beep—Task accepted successfully!”

“You have become the task leader for [Emergency Rescue Mission: Purify ‘Stellar Wanderer-7’].”

“Task system activated. Please recruit 3 teammates and arrive at the designated teleportation point within 9 minutes and 47 seconds.”

A green confirmation message popped up, announcing that Qin Feng had successfully secured this high-value task.

He wasted no time and immediately opened the internal communication channel of the “Fearless War Brigade.”

A concise recruitment message was sent out.

[Emergency Rescue Team, Leader Qin Feng, Current 1/4.]

[Mission: Purify and Rescue ‘Stellar Wanderer-7’, Worth 100 Contribution Points.]

[Requirements: Vitality Index 70.0 or above, at least three perfected killing techniques mastered.]

[Meeting Point: ‘Fearless’ District, Assessment Hall No. 7.]

[Note: Time is urgent, sincerity required; applying signifies agreement to the captain's full command.]

This recruitment notice crashed like a boulder into a tranquil lake.

Life force 70+, three perfected killing techniques!

This requirement, even within the elite "Fearless War Legion," would eliminate the vast majority of members, especially newcomers.

An emergency rescue mission worth 100 contribution points held a fatal allure for any fourth-tier martial artist.

Almost the instant the message was sent, Qin Feng's communicator buzzed incessantly with "beep-beep-beep," as several applications flooded in simultaneously.

Qin Feng swiftly opened the application list.

[Applicant: Yin Jing. Life Force Index: 72.1. Mastered Techniques: "Startling Swan Spear (Perfected)," "Listening Wind Step (Perfected)," "Overlapping Wave Force (Perfected)."]

[Applicant: Zhou Quan. Life Force Index: 73.5. Mastered Techniques: "Soul-Severing Twin Blades (Perfected)," "Thunderclap Body Art (Perfected)," "Shadowless Kick (Perfected)."]

[Applicant: Zou Yun. Life Force Index: 71.8. Mastered Techniques: "Overlord Fist (Perfected)," "Iron Mountain Lean (Perfected)," "Wind God Leg (Mastered)"]...

He scanned through the names and data—all genuine powerhouses, their life force indices even surpassing his own.

Yet when his gaze fell upon the name "Zou Yun," he paused slightly.

Zou Yun?

That name rang a bell.

Months ago, during the "Canaan Freshman Cup" that determined initial resource allocation for newcomers, it was this very Zou Yun who, with a life force index above 70, had utterly crushed him in the first round with a single, overwhelming blow, knocking him out of the competition.

He never expected to meet again here, in this manner.

Without a moment's hesitation, Qin Feng directly clicked "Accept" on Zou Yun's application.

Then he also clicked "Accept" on Yin Jing's and Zhou Quan's applications.

One man, one woman—one skilled with twin blades, the other with a long spear—both formidable in offense.

"Team formed."

Qin Feng immediately issued the first command in the temporary four-person communication channel:

"The mission is urgent. Assemble immediately at the Seventh Assessment Hall in the 'Fearless' District. Repeat, assemble immediately and depart directly."

The "Fearless" District was the exclusive base of the "Fearless War Legion" within Canaan Starry Sky Martial University.

There was no lavish decoration here—only cold metal and an omnipresent aura of killing intent.

The Seventh Assessment Hall was a massive circular alloy chamber, lined with heavy machinery for testing strength, speed, and reaction time.

At this moment, in the open space at the center of the hall, four figures arrived simultaneously.

The moment he recognized Qin Feng's face, Zou Yun's pupils contracted sharply. His arrogant expression froze instantly, replaced by a mix of shock and disbelief.

"It's... you?!"

He blurted out.

Wasn't this the freshman he had punched off the stage during the Freshman Cup a few months ago?

He recalled that the other's life force index had been around 50 back then.

And the qualification to take on this mission required a life force index of 70.

That meant, in just a few months, Qin Feng's life force index had increased by 20 points!

Zou Yun was astounded.

Qin Feng looked at Zou Yun, his voice steady: "Senior Zou Yun, long time no see."

Zou Yun sighed in admiration: "Your life force index... already 70?! How the hell is that possible in just a few months?! You're a monster."

Zhou Quan and Yin Jing, drawn by Zou Yun's exclamation, cast curious glances at Qin Feng.

Though they didn't know him, the fact that he could make Zou Yun lose his composure spoke volumes about this captain's extraordinary nature.

"Yin Jing, skilled with a long spear."

The cold, beautiful woman spoke, cupping her hands toward Qin Feng.

"Zhou Quan, skilled with twin blades."

The bald young man introduced himself in a gruff voice.

Qin Feng nodded slightly and cut straight to the point: "None of us have psychic weapons, but power armor is standard issue. Time is tight. Let's waste no time—put on the power armor and set off immediately."

His tone brooked no argument, carrying a sense of command.

Zou Yun had words on the tip of his tongue, but they were choked back by this imposing aura.

He had originally wanted to ask about command authority. In his view, even if Qin Feng's life force index met the standard, he was still a freshman who had been enrolled for just over a year, taking on such a high-risk mission for the first time—his experience was surely a blank slate.

He himself, however, had accompanied teams on several missions and was rich in experience.

If he took command, the team's survival rate and mission completion would definitely be much higher than letting a rookie blindly lead!

After all, this time they hadn't followed the usual practice of recruiting senior students as "guardians." If they died on the mission, it would be for real!

Thus, Zou Yun couldn't help but be cautious.

"Forget it, let's see how it goes first. If he really commands poorly, I'll step in then."

Zou Yun thought to himself.

"Alright!"

Zhou Quan was the first to respond.

"Clank! Clank! Clatter!"

With a series of hissing valves and the grinding of metal components, the three quickly donned their armor, and Qin Feng also put on his own power armor.

The heavy boots of the power armor thudded dully against the floor.

As their faceplates closed, a blue HUD interface lit up before their eyes simultaneously.

[Identity Confirmed: Qin Feng]

[Power Armor Status: 100%]

[Warp Teleport Beacon Synchronizing...]

[Destination: "Stellar Wanderer-7" Shuttle, Coordinates (Encrypted)]

"Teleportation will commence in five seconds."

Qin Feng's voice, clear through the built-in communicator, reached each of their ears. "Check your weapons, prepare for impact. Remember, we're facing Nurgle's creations. Hold nothing back—destroy their heads and torsos on the first strike!"

The five-second countdown passed in an instant.

"Woom—"

An indescribable, immense force enveloped the four of them. The scene before their eyes instantly shattered into countless bizarre, kaleidoscopic patches of color.

The chaotic, maddening energy currents of the Warp seemed to devour both their spirits and bodies, carrying them like a tiny boat through a surging dimensional ocean.

This sensation lasted less than a moment.

The next instant, the feeling of solid ground returned beneath their feet.

The light and shadow before their eyes returned to normal, and the four of them had already appeared in a wide, deathly silent metal corridor.

This was the interior of the "Stellar Wanderer-7."

The corridor's design was exceedingly luxurious, wide enough for dozens of power armors to walk side by side, with a height exceeding ten meters, leaving no worry about insufficient room to maneuver.

Expensive psionic crystal lamps on the ceiling still emitted a soft glow, but the walls and carpet were splattered with long-dried, dark red bloodstains and nauseating, faintly glowing, sickly green pus.

The air was thick with a cloying, rancid stench—a mix of rust, rotting flesh, and some kind of decaying vegetation—enough to make one retch.

Silence.

Throughout the entire corridor, aside from the faint sound of power armor joints turning and the amplified breathing of the four, there was nothing else.

Yet, in the instant their teleportation completed and they had barely steadied themselves—

"Roar—!"

An inhuman howl suddenly exploded from the shadows deep within the corridor!

Immediately after, several bloated, massive humanoid shadows charged madly with an agility utterly at odds with their size!

They were the corpse mutants infected by the Nurgle virus!

These monsters still vaguely retained human outlines, but their bodies had undergone horrific deformities.

Their skin was a lifeless gray-green, covered in huge pustules that constantly swelled and shrank, oozing yellow-green pus.

Some monsters had arms mutated into bone blades, while others dragged long, barbed tentacles, leaving trails of viscous, disgusting marks on the smooth floor as they moved.

Their life force indices, as sensed by Qin Feng, were around 60 points!

But behind them were corpse mutants reaching about 70 points.

Battle erupted in an instant upon their arrival!

"Zhou Quan, Yin Jing, form a defensive line in the front! Focus on slashing and sweeping to clear the minions—don't let them break our formation!"

"Zou Yun, you're on my right flank; the two of us will handle the largest, most threatening monsters!"

Qin Feng's commands rang out calmly and clearly over the comm channel, simultaneous with the corpse mutants' roars.

His reaction speed and tactical deployment were far too quick for a rookie on his first mission!

Zhou Quan and Yin Jing didn't even have time to think; their bodies instinctively executed the orders.

"Ha!"

Zhou Quan let out a fierce shout, his twin blades instantly drawn. He strode forward, the swords spinning like a windmill, raising an impenetrable steel storm as he charged straight into the densest cluster of corpse mutants!

Yin Jing followed close behind, wielding a silver standard-issue spear.

She moved lightly, her spear thrusting like a dragon, precisely targeting those that slipped through Zhou Quan's blades.

As for Zou Yun, the moment he heard Qin Feng's command, his pupils contracted.

He saw, among the corpse mutants, two that were clearly larger and more ferocious than the others—their target was the core of the newly arrived squad!

Qin Feng had actually identified the threat level of the enemies in an instant!

Without time to overthink, Zou Yun's blood energy surged, and a faint golden light appeared on his right fist, clad in an alloy gauntlet—a sign that the "Overlord Fist" was pushed to its limit.

He was about to engage one elite monster when Qin Feng's voice rang out again.

"Leave the one on the left to me! Focus on the right one! Watch its abdomen—there's something there!"

Zou Yun's heart tightened, and he instinctively concentrated all his attention on the elite corpse mutant to the right.

Sure enough, he saw something alive squirming under the skin of the monster's abdomen, eerily abnormal.

At that moment, Qin Feng moved.

He did not act with Zhou Quan's sweeping force nor Yin Jing's nimble evasion.

The fierce pressure of the Fierce Bird Step and the exquisite agility of the Wandering Dragon Step were fully displayed in Qin Feng, while his spear sometimes swung wide and sometimes pressed like a savage raptor.

One by one, corpse mutants were pierced through the head by Qin Feng.

Control!

This was the realm above "Perfection" in killing techniques—the domain of true experts: the Control Realm!

That elite corpse mutant, with a life force index as high as 70 points, instinctively sensed a fatal threat. It let out a furious roar, crossing its bone-blade arms before its chest in an attempt to block the killing strike.

Yet, in the instant before Qin Feng's spear tip touched the bone blades, it trembled slightly in a minute arc imperceptible to the eye.

[Fierce Harrier Shadow Chase!]

Hum!

The spear tip seemed to pierce through the barrier of space, ignoring the defense of the bone blades, and precisely, from an inconceivable angle, drove straight into the elite corpse mutant's eye socket!

"Pfft!"

A soft sound, and the entire spear sank in to the hilt. The immense kinetic energy sent its massive body flying backward, and with a "boom," it was pinned to the alloy wall behind!

One thrust, instant kill!

The entire process was fluid and utterly decisive!

This sight made Zou Yun, who was locked in combat with another elite corpse mutant, nearly pop his eyes out!

He saw it clearly: that thrust of Qin Feng's had completely transcended the category of "technique"—it was the "Control Realm"!

A "rookie" who, just a few months ago, he had looked up to, had actually reached this level?!

"Zou Yun! Focus!"

Qin Feng's icy voice, like a bucket of cold water, jolted him out of his shock.

Zou Yun shuddered, snapped back to reality, and hastily dodged a mouthful of highly acidic green venom spat by the elite corpse mutant before him.

The venom hit the ground, instantly corroding a sizzling, large hole.

He broke out in a cold sweat.

If not for Qin Feng's warning, that moment of distraction would have cost him dearly.

"Roger!"

Zou Yun dared not harbor any further underestimation or stray thoughts; he threw his entire being into the fight.

He abandoned all superfluous ideas, fully trusting Qin Feng's judgment, and followed every concise command that came through his earpiece.

"Zhou Quan, step back half a pace, clear the left side!"

"Yin Jing, fill in! At three o'clock—that corpse mutant is about to self-destruct; pierce its throat!"

"Zou Yun, attack its lower body!"

Qin Feng stood like a stabilizing pillar, firmly at the center of the team.

His spear struck out from time to time, and with each strike, a corpse mutant was precisely pierced through a vital point, cleanly eliminated.

His eyes were like the most precise tactical analyzer, calculating the entire battlefield situation, every enemy movement, and every breath of his teammates.

Every command was issued at the most critical juncture, elevating the squad's combat efficiency to an incredible height.

Under Qin Feng's direction, the battlefield, which had seemed somewhat chaotic, instantly became orderly and clear.

Zhou Quan's twin blades were no longer wild slashes but had become the most solid meat grinder;

Yin Jing's long spear was like a silver bolt of lightning, precisely filling every gap Zhou Quan left;

And Zou Yun, after completely abandoning his own ideas and wholeheartedly executing Qin Feng's commands, discovered in terror that dealing with that elite corpse mutant had become unprecedentedly easy!

Every one of Qin Feng's predictions was terrifyingly accurate!

"Bang!"

Finally, in a perfect coordination, Zou Yun seized a fleeting opportunity created by Qin Feng and landed a "Overlord Fist" imbued with terrifying force squarely on the head of that elite corpse mutant.

With a loud crack of shattering bones, that ugly head burst open like a watermelon.

Thus, the dozens of corpse mutants in the first wave were slaughtered to the last by the four of them in less than a minute.

The corridor fell into dead silence once more, leaving only the scattered limbs and flesh and the four's heavy breathing.

Zou Yun looked at the elite corpse mutant pinned to the wall by Qin Feng's spear, still twitching slightly, then glanced at the monster at his feet that he had struggled so hard to kill, his face burning with shame.

He now finally understood why Qin Feng dared to write in the recruitment notice, "Applying means agreeing to the captain's full authority."

How could this be some green rookie?

This was clearly a prehistoric beast cloaked in a new recruit's skin!

His strength, his mind, his battlefield command—all far exceeded Zou Yun's imagination.

The last shred of defiance and doubt in his heart was ground to dust before Qin Feng's godlike "Mastery Realm" spear technique and watertight command.

"I'm convinced..."

Zou Yun said softly in the comm channel, with heartfelt admiration.

Qin Feng did not respond to his sentiment; his gaze had already turned deeper into the corridor.

"Clean the battlefield, collect samples, prepare to move on."

His voice remained calm, as if the bloody battle just now was merely a warm-up.

"The HUD interface of the power armor has synced the structural map of this shuttle. Our target is the habitation module at the very bottom of the ship; the survivors should be there."

"Everyone, follow me closely, stay alert, we advance!"

With the order, Qin Feng took the lead, his spear angled toward the ground, the heavy footsteps of his power armor echoing in the dead corridor.

Zou Yun, Zhou Quan, and Yin Jing immediately followed, forming a tight combat formation, their eyes filled with absolute trust in their captain.

(End of chapter)