Chapter 157: Vitality Index 532 Points! Shocking Shi Potian!

Chapter 157: Vitality Index 532! Shocking Shi Potian!

The heavy alloy door slowly glided shut, completely sealing away all light and sound from the outside world.

For the next three years, this would be Qin Feng's entire universe.

There was not a single shred of hesitation on his face regarding the tedious asceticism ahead; instead, a near-fanatical fervor burned within his eyes.

He methodically arranged the mountain of resources he had just exchanged into a neat row in the corner of the quiet room.

Seventy vials of Premium Psionic Elixir, each sealed in an independent thermostatic pressure tube, its pale gold liquid flowing sluggishly within, radiating terrifying psionic fluctuations.

Twenty-four packs of Enhanced Type-I Deep-Repair Medicinal Bath, vacuum-compressed into dark green square bricks, their surfaces etched with intricate psionic circuits.

Thirteen vials of Enhanced Type-I Mental Recovery Elixir, their slender glass bodies holding a deep, dark blue liquid that resembled the starry night sky.

"Let us begin."

Qin Feng sat down cross-legged.

He uncapped the first vial of Premium Psionic Elixir, tilted his head back, and downed the psionic fluid—worth ten contribution points, an amount capable of driving any low-tier martial artist into madness—in a single gulp.

Boom!

A violent, scalding, and terrifying wave of energy, seemingly intent on incinerating his internal organs to ash, exploded within his body in an instant!

Enduring the agonizing pain that felt like his body was on fire, he sank his consciousness inward, condensing his will through the Great Sun Visualization Technique to precisely guide this runaway torrent of energy toward the barrier of the twenty-fifth Great Sun Acupoint, which he had long since locked onto, launching a fearless charge!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Each impact resembled a battering ram violently smashing against a ten-thousand-foot fortress wall.

His body trembled violently, beads of blood seeping through the surface of his skin, while waves of overwhelming tearing sensations rippled through his overburdened meridians.

This was the most fundamental law of martial cultivation—destruction before creation.

However, this particular destruction was far more violent than any he had experienced before!

Just by assaulting a single acupoint, the accumulation speed of internal injuries within his body was almost equal to the total combined from breaking through three acupoints in the past.

Yet, Qin Feng’s gaze remained as calm as an ancient, undisturbed well.

As the energy from the first wave of impact depleted entirely, he immediately tossed a pre-prepared pack of Enhanced Type-I Deep-Repair Medicinal Bath into the adjacent pool.

Sizzle—

The dark green square brick dissolved upon contact with water, instantly dyeing the entire pool of clear water into a vibrant emerald hue brimming with vitality.

He stepped inside without a moment's hesitation, the warm liquid enveloping his body as surges of pure, potent restorative energy, like billions of gentle hands, rapidly began repairing the microscopic damage inside him caused by the violent impacts.

He could clearly "see" those damaged meridian walls and exhausted cells being smoothed over, nourished, and reinforced at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Immediately after, he drank a vial of Enhanced Type-I Mental Recovery Elixir.

A cool stream slid down his throat and straight into his mind, instantly sweeping away the mental exhaustion brought on by guiding the rampant energy.

His thinking became clearer and sharper than ever before, granting him a god-like perspective from which he perfectly controlled every cycle of destruction and creation within his body.

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

A flash of enlightenment crossed Qin Feng’s eyes.

"Pure destruction is far too inefficient.

After every impact, a massive amount of time is wasted waiting for the physical body to naturally recover; this process squanders at least half of the total time."

"But with these enhanced recovery resources... the transition between destruction and creation can be made nearly seamless!"

"Just as a corner of the fortress wall is smashed down here, logistics instantly repair it to be even sturdier than before over there, and then, a subsequent, even fiercer charge can be launched immediately!"

This was no longer the piecemeal, stop-and-go tactics of the past.

Having figured this out, a nearly cruel arc curled at the corner of Qin Feng’s mouth.

His dictionary had never lacked the words "madness" and "determination."

Time flowed on, as the sun and moon cycled silently.

Inside the quiet room, there was no distinction between day and night; the only timepiece was the steadily dwindling pile of resources in the corner.

Time lost all meaning here.

Qin Feng transformed entirely into a cold, precise cultivation machine.

His life was reduced to three endlessly looping steps:

Swallowing the Premium Psionic Elixir to assault the next Great Sun Acupoint in the most violent manner possible.

The absolute instant his body reached its limit, submerging into the Enhanced Type-I Deep-Repair Medicinal Bath to repair and strengthen his damaged flesh at maximum efficiency.

The moment his spirit felt weary, immediately drinking the Enhanced Type-I Mental Recovery Elixir to face the next impact with the clearest mind.

The first year.

[Congratulations, you have successfully opened the 30th Great Sun Acupoint!]

[Great Sun Acupoint Opening Technique proficiency +300!]

Qin Feng’s body shuddered violently as a psionic aura far more majestic than before surged from the newly opened acupoint, flooding into his limbs and bones.

He could feel that his strength, speed, and even cellular activity had ascended to an entirely new level.

He opened his eyes, glanced at the resources in the corner that were now nearly one-third consumed, and without a single pause, uncapped the next vial of psionic elixir.

……

When the last trace of energy from the 【Special Grade Psychic Potion】 was drained dry by him, when the last essence of the restorative medicinal bath merged into his body, when the last wisp of coolness from the psychic potion dissipated in his mind.

Boom—!!!

Within Qin Feng’s body, it was as if a universe had been born!

The fiftieth “Solar Plexus” was finally pierced through and filled to the brim by him in a nearly savage manner!

A total of twenty-six brand-new “Solar Plexuses,” in the “starry sky” behind him formed by the coalescence of his blood and qi, shone in mutual radiance with the previous twenty-four Solar Plexuses, composing a dazzling and magnificent star chart!

An unprecedented, terrifying force, like an avalanche or a tidal wave, erupted wildly from these fifty simultaneously operating “Solar Plexuses,” instantly sweeping through his entire body!

His bones groaned under the unbearable strain, his muscles tore and reknitted in frenzy, his meridians widened several times, enough to accommodate the roaring, surging river of blood and qi!

“Ah—!!!”

Qin Feng let out a long howl to the heavens; an invisible sonic boom crashed against the alloy walls of the meditation chamber, producing a thunderous “boom”!

After a long while, the tide of this power slowly subsided, fully retracted into his body.

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes; a glint of gold flashed through his pupils.

“I succeeded…”

His voice carried a hint of hoarseness from long disuse, but more than that, a sense of relieved satisfaction.

Three years of time, twenty-six new acupoints.

He glanced down at the now-empty resource corner, calculating rapidly in his mind.

“Exactly seventy Special Grade Psychic Potions, twenty-four packs of Enhanced Restorative Baths, thirteen Enhanced Psychic Potions—all consumed, not a single drop wasted.”

“It was precisely because of these enhanced recovery resources that my cultivation efficiency could reach such a terrifying level.”

“My training speed increased by fifty percent!”

A flicker of relief passed through Qin Feng’s eyes.

He knew very well that without these “special supply” resources exchangeable only within the Fearless War Brigade, if he had relied solely on psychic potions to force his way through, the time needed to open these twenty-six acupoints would have at least doubled.

Six years!

That would have been a time frame he could never accept!

“Using a massive amount of contribution points to buy precious time… this deal was worth it!”

Although he had paid nearly double the contribution points compared to conventional training methods, he had no regrets.

Time was the most valuable treasure!

He stood up, feeling the surging, overwhelming power within his body. With a thought, he summoned his personal interface.

【Name: Qin Feng】

【Martial Artist Rank: Fourth-Level Acupoint-Opening Martial Artist】

【Life Force Index: 532.0】

【Cultivation Method: Solar Plexus Opening Method (Mastery): Opened ‘Solar Plexuses’ (50/360)】

…

Staring at the glaring “532.0,” a genuine smile finally spread across Qin Feng’s face.

Five hundred and thirty-two points!

This number far exceeded his initial goal of “breaking through 500 points.”

It meant that in the upcoming “Mentor Group Promotion Tournament,” he would have stronger confidence and capital!

“Three years in seclusion, cut off from the world—I wonder what time it is now.”

Suppressing his excitement, Qin Feng said in a deep voice, “Hammer.”

“At your service, Master.”

“What time is it now? How long until the ‘Canaan Rookie Cup’ starts?”

Qin Feng asked directly.

Hammer flickered, and cold, precise data immediately appeared on the light screen before Qin Feng.

【Time remaining until the official start of the ‘Canaan Rookie Cup’: 29 days.】

“One month?”

Qin Feng nodded. The timing was just right.

He didn’t rush out to contact anyone. Over these three years, his strength had undergone a qualitative leap, but those were just numbers on paper.

He hadn’t forgotten his barren “killing technique library.”

“Hammer, help me register for this year’s ‘Canaan Rookie Cup.’”

“Command confirmed. You have successfully registered for the ‘Canaan Rookie Cup.’”

Hammer was extremely efficient.

“Good.”

Qin Feng’s gaze sharpened. “Now, connect me to the Imperial Arena.”

He intended to use this final month to fully master the staff technique he had obtained from the War Brigade’s resource library but had never had time to practice—【Wind Thunder Long Staff】!

【Connecting to the Imperial Arena…】

【Identity verification passed…】

“Lock Life Force Index at 30 points.”

“Equipment selection: Light Alloy Combat Suit, Standard Alloy Long Staff.”

He didn’t choose his most proficient spear but instead the staff!

His 【Thousand Army Spear】 and 【Dragon Snake Spear】 had both reached the “Mastery Realm.”

Now, what he needed was honing, not climbing the rankings.

【Selection complete. Matching opponent for you…】

Whoosh—

The scene before him shifted, and the next second, Qin Feng found himself in a massive colosseum styled after ancient Rome.

A hundred meters away, a burly martial artist wielding a giant axe charged toward him with heavy steps!

Qin Feng’s eyes instantly turned cold and focused.

He gripped the heavy alloy long staff in his hand, feeling its weight and mechanical structure, so different from a spear.

“Then, let’s start from here.”

…

Over the following month, Qin Feng immersed himself completely in the frenzied battles of the Imperial Arena.

At first, his use of the long staff was still somewhat clumsy; facing all kinds of bizarre opponents, he was often defeated due to unfamiliarity with the weapon.

Later, relying on his lofty and commanding sense of killing techniques, he rapidly mastered every nuance of the long staff.

Splitting, smashing, thrusting, sweeping, flicking, parrying...

In battles won or lost, he frantically absorbed combat experience, boosting his proficiency in the [Wind-Thunder Long Staff] at a rocket-like pace.

[Ding! Your proficiency in 'Wind-Thunder Long Staff' has reached 'Initiation'!]

[Ding! Your proficiency in 'Wind-Thunder Long Staff' has reached 'Minor Mastery'!]

[Ding! You have comprehended 'Wind-Thunder Thrust Force' in battle; your proficiency in 'Wind-Thunder Long Staff' has reached 'Major Mastery'!]

Half a month later, in a duel against an agile opponent wielding twin blades, at the moment of a desperate dodge, inspiration struck. The long staff in his hand suddenly erupted with a violent surge of power. The tip of the staff carved a visible shockwave through the air, unleashing a terrifying sonic boom like thunder and wind exploding!

Boom!

That agile opponent didn't even have time to react before the staff shattered his light armor. He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, dissolving into a shower of light particles midair.

[Ding! Congratulations! In the heat of extreme combat, your 'Wind-Thunder Long Staff' killing technique has successfully broken through to 'Perfection'!]

Thus, Qin Feng added another powerful killing technique at the perfection level to his arsenal.

For the remaining half month, he continued to hone his skills in the arena.

Relying solely on his [Wind-Thunder Long Staff], now at its pinnacle, he dominated low-tier matches, slaying gods and buddhas alike in his path.

His official rank soared as well.

[Current Rank: Imperial Arena - Tier 1 (435 points)]

"Less than a hundred points away from advancing to Tier 2,"

Qin Feng mused, staring at his rank points. "And this is only using the long staff. If I brought out my spear, which has already reached 'Mastery,' I'd probably be in the middle of Tier 2 by now."

"Pity, the Wind-Thunder Long Staff hasn't reached Mastery yet, but it's close."

"Beep, beep, beep—"

Just then, the alert from his smart assistant Hammer pulled him from his immersion.

"Master, less than twenty-four hours remain until the 'Canaan Rookie Cup' begins."

"Got it."

With a thought, Qin Feng exited the Imperial Arena.

The familiar cold, silent chamber reappeared before him.

A month of intense combat had completely transformed the stagnant aura that had clung to him for three years into a soaring, blazing fighting spirit.

He stretched his body, and his joints crackled in a series of sharp pops.

"Time to emerge from seclusion."

He opened the communication interface that had been dormant for three years.

A flood of messages surged in like a tidal wave.

His eyes immediately locked onto a familiar name.

—Shi Potian.

He opened the message list and saw the reply Shi Potian had sent three years ago after receiving his message.

[Shi Potian: Good. The path of martial arts is like sailing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall back. I look forward to seeing you in three years. Let's encourage each other!]

Behind this message was another, timestamped a month ago.

[Shi Potian: By my reckoning, you should be coming out of seclusion soon. I've already signed up for this year's Rookie Cup.]

Brief, powerful, filled with Shi Potian's characteristic aloofness and purity.

A smile crept onto Qin Feng's lips.

His old friend hadn't changed.

Next, he saw messages from Lei Meng, Xiong Yanfu, Tie Mu, and others.

These messages had almost all been sent in the last few days, with similar content.

[Lei Meng: Boss Qin! Are you out yet? The Rookie Cup starts tomorrow! We brothers are all waiting for you to come out, to throw you a welcome feast and wish you a triumphant start!]

[Xiong Yanfu: Crazy Qin, if you don't come out soon, we're going to smash down your dorm door! Hurry up, I've already booked a table at 'Gluttony Residence' in the Food District! Just waiting for the main event—you!]

[Tie Mu: Qin Feng, waiting for you.]

Looking at these warm, expectant messages, a wave of warmth surged in Qin Feng's heart.

Three years in seclusion, and old friends remained the same.

It felt good.

Without hesitation, he focused his mind and typed a line in the four-person group chat that Lei Meng and Xiong Yanfu had started.

[Qin Feng: I'm out of seclusion.]

Almost the moment his message was sent. Ding! Ding! Ding!

Three instant replies popped up simultaneously.

[Lei Meng: Holy shit! Boss, you're finally out!]

[Xiong Yanfu: Welcome back, Crazy Qin! Gluttony Residence, tonight at seven, be there or be square!]

[Tie Mu: Mm.]

Qin Feng smiled and replied with a single word: "Good."

Then, after a moment's thought, he opened the private chat with Shi Potian.

He considered introducing Shi Potian to Xiong Yanfu and the others.

After all, they were all students at Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University, bound to cross paths often. More friends meant more paths.

Besides, given everyone's talent and character, they were definitely worth knowing.

[Qin Feng: Potian, I'm out of seclusion. I'm having a small gathering with a few friends at 'Gluttony Residence' in the Food District. If you're free, come join us. I'll introduce you.]

—

Food District, Gluttony Residence.

Every private booth here was engraved with energy-isolating arrays, ensuring that no sound, aura, or even unconscious mental fluctuations could leak out.

The ingredients were rare beasts and exotic creatures from across the universe, personally cooked by grandmasters specializing in the "Way of Dietary Supplementation." Each dish was a gentle yet potent spiritual energy tonic.

As Qin Feng pushed open the heavy booth door, carved from a single block of "Sinking Sound Wood," Lei Meng's unmistakable booming voice rang out.

"Holy shit! Boss! You're finally out! I thought you were planning to cultivate in your dorm until the end of time!"

Inside the booth, around a massive round jade dining table, three figures were already seated.

Lei Meng, bald-headed and built like an iron tower;

Tie Mu, calm and restrained, his aura condensed like a mountain;

And Xiong Yanfu, whose face always wore that self-assured, easygoing smile.

Three years had left little trace on them, only deepening and refining their already sharp and tempered auras.

When their gazes simultaneously converged on Qin Feng standing at the doorway, an almost imperceptible flicker of astonishment passed across the faces of all three.

The Qin Feng before them seemed changed, yet unchanged.

His features still bore that familiar expression of resolve and composure, but the aura he exuded had undergone a cataclysmic transformation.

If the Qin Feng of three years ago was a peerless, lethal blade hidden in its sheath—sharp, aggressive, radiating an unstoppable momentum and killing intent—

Then now, he was like an ancient well of unfathomable depth, or a silent, star-strewn void.

All his sharpness, all his edge, all his power, had been fully retracted into that seemingly unremarkable frame.

You could sense not a shred of oppressive force from him, yet when you tried to gauge his depth, your mind would involuntarily be swallowed by that profound stillness, stirring from the depths of your soul an indescribable sense of insignificance and dread.

Returning to simplicity.

The same word surfaced in the minds of Xiong Yanfu and Tie Mu.

“Looks like these three years in seclusion paid off handsomely, Madman Qin,”

Xiong Yanfu said with a chuckle, pushing up the nonexistent glasses on his nose, though a hint of gravity lingered in his eyes.

“Mm.”

Tie Mu simply nodded, but his steady gaze was equally filled with shock.

In his perception, the surging spiritual energy within Qin Feng could no longer be called a “river”—it was like a terrifying nebula undergoing a supernova explosion!

“Haha, don’t just stand there—sit, sit!”

Lei Meng rose boisterously and pulled Qin Feng into the seat beside him. “Fatty Xiong really splurged today—ordered a whole table of rare delicacies, says he wants to fatten you up! Today, we drink till we drop!”

Qin Feng smiled and sat down, his gaze sweeping over his three friends, a warmth rising in his heart.

“Let me introduce you to a new friend—also an old friend of mine,”

Qin Feng said, his voice carrying a slight hoarseness from long disuse, yet every word rang clear in each person’s ears.

As his words fell, the door to the private room slid open silently once more.

A tall, lean, austere figure stepped in.

He wore a perfectly tailored black combat suit, his features sharp and angular, his eyes keen as an eagle’s, exuding an air of aloof purity that said “keep out.”

He stood there quietly, as if forming a world of his own, out of place amid the surrounding clamor.

It was Shi Potian.

“This is Shi Potian,”

Qin Feng said, gesturing toward the newcomer, then turned to him and introduced, “Potian, these three are friends I made at Canaan—Lei Meng, Tie Mu, and Xiong Yanfu.”

“My high school classmates, and my most important comrades-in-arms,”

Qin Feng added.

Then, to Shi Potian, he continued, “These three are friends I’ve known since the freshman assessment ten years ago. You could say we’ve shared life-and-death bonds.”

Qin Feng’s introduction was concise, but it instantly bridged the psychological distance between them.

The scrutiny in Lei Meng, Tie Mu, and Xiong Yanfu’s eyes as they looked at Shi Potian softened, replaced by recognition.

Anyone whom this “monster” Qin Feng called his “most important high school comrade-in-arms” had to be extraordinary in strength and talent—that much was obvious even to a fool.

Besides, they all knew that no one weak could ever enroll in Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University.

Shi Potian, in turn, assessed the three men, his aloofness slightly receding.

He too understood the weight of Qin Feng’s words—“life-and-death bonds forged climbing out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.”

That meant these three were partners truly worthy of trust, people you could entrust your back to.

“Hello,”

Shi Potian said, sparing no words, giving a slight nod to each.

“Hello, hello!”

Xiong Yanfu immediately stood up, greeting warmly, “Brother Shi, right? Please, have a seat! I’ve heard Qin Feng mention you before—a genius who was both rival and friend in high school. Seeing you today, you truly live up to the reputation! Come, sit by me!”

Shi Potian didn’t stand on ceremony; he walked over and took the seat Xiong Yanfu had vacated.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room didn’t turn awkward with the new addition.

Because everyone present followed the simplest rule—strength commands respect.

Anyone who could earn Qin Feng’s recognition and be invited to this meal undoubtedly had exceptional qualities.

They might have different personalities, but between them existed a tacit understanding and mutual respect rooted in ability.

Moreover, Lei Meng and Xiong Yanfu were masters at livening up the mood.

After a few cups of “Ice Soul Wine” brewed from the blood of ice silkworms, the conversation flowed freely.

“Honestly, Brother Shi,”

Lei Meng downed his drink in one gulp and looked at Shi Potian with curiosity, “We’ve known the boss for years, but we’ve never heard what he was like in high school. You’re his old classmate—spill the gossip! Was the boss always this freakish?”

“Yeah, yeah!”

Xiong Yanfu was equally intrigued.

Tie Mu said nothing, but he too pricked up his ears, clearly interested in the topic.

Under the trio’s eager gazes, Shi Potian’s perpetually icy face actually showed a rare flicker of complex emotion—as if reminiscing, as if sighing.

He raised his glass, took a sip, and then spoke slowly, his voice cool but carrying an unshakable certainty.

“Freakish?”

Shi Potian shook his head, as if the word fell short.

He paused, then chose a more precise term: “He’s not a freak. From the very first day I met him, he was a complete monster.”

“Oh?”

The three perked up, even setting down their chopsticks.

“You all know what the title ‘War Star’ means to a martial arts high school student, right?”

Shi Potian didn’t dive straight in; he laid out the context first.

“Of course!”

Xiong Yanfu answered immediately.

Shi Potian’s gaze fell on Qin Feng, who was quietly eating his vegetables beside him, the complexity in his eyes deepening.

“I thought my cultivation speed was already astonishing enough. But I was wrong.”

“When he enrolled, his life force index was less than 1.5—barely scraping by the admission threshold of Qiming No.1 High. But from that day on, this ‘monster’ began his utterly unreasonable path of growth.”

Shi Potian took a deep breath, as if steadying himself.

“One year and three months.”

He raised one finger.

“From the moment he stepped through the gates of Qiming No.1 High, to the moment he defeated all opponents in a single move in the finals of the inter-school league and claimed the title of ‘Qiming War Star’—it took him only one year and three months. Then, he immediately applied for graduation and came to Canaan.”

Silence.

An eerie stillness fell over the private room.

The smiles on Lei Meng, Xiong Yanfu, and Tie Mu's faces all froze.

One year and three months?

In three years of high school, he had used less than half that time to accomplish the ultimate goal that others—even geniuses—needed their entire high school careers to chase?

What did that even mean?

This could no longer be described by the word "genius."

A bitter smile crept across Shi Potian's face—a complex expression born of being utterly crushed, mingling helplessness, reluctance, and finally, release.

"When I enrolled, my goal was to earn the Star General within three years. In the end, I participated in four school-level tournaments, gave it my all, and it took me four years—finally getting that title in the third year after he had already graduated, a title he no longer needed."

With that, he raised his glass and drained it in one gulp, as if swallowing whole the years overshadowed by that "monster."

"One year and three months to earn the Star General—you all know what that means. He's a monster!"

Shi Potian sighed.

"Hiss—"

Lei Meng sucked in a sharp breath, his gaze toward Qin Feng completely transformed.

Xiong Yanfu and Tie Mu exchanged glances, both seeing the barely concealed shock in each other's eyes.

They finally understood why Qin Feng had stood out in that brutal freshman assessment, why he, as a newcomer, had made such a name for himself in just a few years.

Yin Jing, Zou Yun, even Senior Qin Lan all held Qin Feng in high regard, and many freshmen warriors respected him deeply.

After the brief shock, a long-dormant fire reignited in Shi Potian's eyes—a blazing will to fight.

He stared straight at Qin Feng, his gaze filled with pure, unadulterated longing to catch up in the martial path.

"Qin Feng!"

Shi Potian looked at him excitedly, anticipation shining in his eyes. "You enrolled four years before me—in these ten years, you must never have stopped!"

"With your 'monster' talent, I think... your Vitality Index might have already reached the 200 mark?"

He asked the question that weighed on his mind—and on everyone else's.

200 points!

It was a bold guess.

The further the Vitality Index goes, the harder it is to improve.

The gap from 80 to 200 points is far greater than the sum of the gap from 1 to 80.

Xiong Yanfu and the others held their breath, all eyes fixed on Qin Feng.

They, too, wanted to know just how terrifying a level this "monster," who had been in seclusion for three whole years, had now reached.

Facing four pairs of curious, expectant eyes, Qin Feng set down his jade chopsticks.

He didn't play coy, nor did he boast.

"A little progress."

He used the same opening as before, then uttered a number that sent the others into chaos.

"It's already 532."

...

At that moment, time seemed to freeze.

A piece of golden, fragrant "tenderloin" that Lei Meng had just picked up dropped with a plop back onto his plate.

His mouth hung wide open—big enough to fit a fist—his eyes bulging like brass bells, his face a picture of utter bewilderment: "Who am I, where am I, what did I just hear?"

The ever-present smile on Xiong Yanfu's face froze solid.

The hand he rested on the table trembled slightly, and the shock in his eyes defied any words.

Even Tie Mu's face, usually as steady as a mountain, cracked for the first time.

The corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

But the most shaken was Shi Potian, who had been so spirited just moments ago.

The pride, the fighting spirit, the anticipation—every expression on his face shattered into nothingness the instant he heard "532."

A flash of extreme, absurd, utterly incomprehensible confusion crossed his sharp eyes, as if he doubted his own ears.

Then confusion turned into horror.

Finally, all emotions dissolved into a bottomless void and bitterness.

F-five hundred and thirty-two points?

"Monster..."

After a long, long pause, Shi Potian's dry throat managed to force out those two words.

"Pfft—"

"I... I take back what I said. You're not a pervert, nor a monster..."

Xiong Yanfu shook his head with a wry smile. "You're a goddamn immortal!"

"Boss, you're not joking, are you?"

Lei Meng finally found his voice, his face a mask of disbelief.

Qin Feng just looked at them calmly, saying nothing, but his eyes said it all.

It was true.

After the confirmation, the private room fell into a deathly silence once more.

This time, it was Shi Potian who broke it again.

"530 Vitality Index—are you close to Acupoint Fusion?"

Shi Potian asked.

"No. I practice the Supreme Acupoint Opening Method; I'm still far from Fusion."

Qin Feng shook his head.

Shi Potian was taken aback.

The method he practiced, the *Vast Sea Acupoint Opening Method*, was a 'Superior Acupoint Opening Method.' Its cultivation limit was one hundred and eight acupoints.

Each successfully opened and filled 'Vast Sea Acupoint' increased his Vitality Index by about 5 points.

Qin Feng practiced the 'Supreme Acupoint Opening Method,' which required opening not one hundred and eight, but a full three hundred and sixty acupoints!

The difficulty and resource consumption were ten times—even dozens of times—greater than the Superior method!

But once successful, the rewards were immense.

When all three hundred and sixty acupoints were perfected, before beginning 'Acupoint Fusion,' the theoretical limit of a warrior's Vitality Index would reach... three thousand six hundred points.

Warriors who cultivate the supreme Acumen-Opening Method are more likely to advance to the Planetary level than those who cultivate the superior method.

After Shi Potian obtained the Qiming General Star, he agonized over whether to learn the supreme or superior Acumen-Opening Method, ultimately choosing the superior.

He lacked the patience to spend a hundred years as a fourth-rank warrior.

Unexpectedly, Qin Feng directly chose the supreme method.

What Shi Potian didn’t know was that Qin Feng hadn’t actually chosen at all—the Qiming General Star reward that year had granted him the supreme method, and he simply used it.

“So that means…”

Xiong Yanfu’s eyes suddenly lit up, as if a crucial insight had struck him, and he slapped his thigh.

He said excitedly, “Based on all the registration info and intel I’ve gathered, among the contestants in this year’s fourth-rank warrior division, it seems… only three are practicing the ‘supreme Acumen-Opening Method.’”

“The rest are all using the ‘superior method.’ Their vitality index caps out at, at most, 570 points!”

“With your current strength… Old Qin, in this newcomer cup’s fourth-rank division, you’ve got a real shot at a top ranking!”

Xiong Yanfu said passionately, “Your only rivals are those three who practice the supreme method.”

“…”

Lei Meng’s eyes also gleamed, almost drooling, “I recall the newcomer cup’s champion prize is…”

“Ten thousand contribution points!”

Xiong Yanfu declared firmly, raising one finger, “Second place gets five thousand, third gets three thousand, fourth gets one thousand.”

These numbers made everyone present, including Qin Feng, catch their breath.

“Those three monsters practicing the ‘supreme Acumen-Opening Method’—I’ve looked into their records.”

“Two of them have vitality indexes over 3,000…”

“One enrolled ninety-three years ago.”

“The other enrolled a hundred and two years ago.”

“Those two are out of the question—no way to beat them. The third enrolled forty-five years ago; the latest info from two years ago during a mission put his vitality index at 480, and now it’s probably close to yours.”

“Old Qin, just aim for third place.”

(End of this chapter)