Chapter 162: 31st Floor of Canaan Tower, School-wide Announcement Encouragement!

Chapter 162: Floor 31 of Canaan Tower, School-Wide Announcement of Encouragement!

Qin Feng closed the dialog box with Xiong Yanfu.

His attention shifted from the Imperial Coin account to another matter, the most significant gain for him in this Freshman Cup.

— Contribution Points.

3,018 points.

Gazing at this number, Qin Feng’s breathing grew slightly rapid.

3,000 contribution points!

To him, this was a veritable fortune!

It was the greatest guarantee for a rapid surge in his strength over the next few years!

He recalled the [Superior Psychic Potion] he had already exhausted, and the seclusions where, under the drug’s impact, he had endured unbearable pain yet soared in power.

“The ‘Great Sun Acupoint Opening Method’ requires energy equivalent to about 2.5 [Superior Psychic Potions] to open one ‘Great Sun Acupoint.’”

Qin Feng’s mind began calculating at an astonishing speed.

“3,000 contribution points can exchange for a full 300 [Superior Psychic Potions].”

“That means these points are enough for me to open another 120 ‘Great Sun Acupoints.’”

“Of course, that’s an ideal scenario; I’ll also need to spend points on resources to accelerate cultivation, otherwise opening 120 acupoints would take decades of hard work.”

“If mental recovery potions and medicinal bath packs are sufficient, 120 acupoints would only take a little over ten years.”

“But that’s still not enough.”

Qin Feng’s gaze quickly regained its calm.

“My goal is to cover in thirty years what others take a hundred. That means I must open all 360 ‘Great Sun Acupoints’ within thirty years!”

“Ten years have passed, and I’ve opened 50. In the remaining twenty years, I need to open 310, averaging 155 per decade.”

“25 ‘Great Sun Acupoints,’ given my current seclusion efficiency, accounting for potion absorption and body recovery time, with full effort, would take about three years.”

“…”

In Qin Feng’s mind, a clear yet arduous path of cultivation slowly unfolded.

“Based on my pace of opening 26 acupoints in three years of seclusion, to fully open a hundred acupoints would take… roughly ten years.”

He murmured to himself, a glint of contemplation flickering in his eyes.

“This speed is already very fast.”

“But still, I can’t open all acupoints in thirty years—alas, I need higher-level resources!”

Qin Feng shook his head.

Actually, breaking through in forty years would be acceptable.

Do my best!

Seize every moment!

“There are still over ten days until the ‘Disciple Group Promotion Tournament.’”

He recalled his mentor, Yu Han, that unfathomably powerful star-level expert.

Though forcibly assigned as his mentor, Yu Han had only shown up once at Qin Feng’s enrollment and never appeared again, let alone offered any guidance.

Qin Feng held no resentment; he knew that beings like Yu Han couldn’t teach hand-in-hand like high school teachers.

And in this “Disciple Group Promotion Tournament,” if he could successfully advance to elite disciple, he would earn the chance for formal, face-to-face guidance from his mentor once every ten years.

“A single word of guidance from a star-level expert, even just a sentence, might be worth far more than thousands of contribution points.”

Qin Feng was full of anticipation.

“So, the plan for the next steps is clear.”

“First, call my father, transfer the money, and put his mind at ease.”

“Then, use the remaining ten-plus days to storm the ‘Canaan Tower’ with all my might!”

A blazing fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.

On one hand, it was to test his current peak combat power and hone the newly entered “Mastery Realm” killing technique, the “Wind-Thunder Staff.”

On the other hand, naturally, it was to earn… contribution points!

Each floor of Canaan Tower offers contribution point rewards—small individually, but accumulated, they become a vast fortune.

More importantly, honing killing techniques within the tower is far more efficient than sitting in meditation alone.

With his plan set, Qin Feng’s mind settled completely.

His consciousness entered the subspace network.

As expected, upon going online, his friend request list, as if hit by a data flood, instantly refreshed with thousands of new requests.

All kinds of avatars and names nearly burst the light screen.

Qin Feng merely glanced calmly and chose “Ignore All.”

He wasn’t a celebrity; he didn’t need fans.

These fleeting strangers, even if added as friends, would only bring distraction.

Yet, just as he was about to close the list, a name both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar made his finger, poised to click “Ignore,” freeze mid-air.

[Friend Request: Shi Dang. Note: None.]

Shi Dang.

This name, like a key, instantly unlocked a memory buried in Qin Feng’s mind from Qiming Star.

Military Deputy High School of the Star River, half-blood of the Stone People.

That opponent in the finals of the “Newcomer King Tournament” years ago, whom he had defeated with thunderous force, full of unwillingness and defiance.

Later, he also defeated Shi Potian, winning the “Qiming General Star,” the highest honor for Qiming’s younger generation, a year earlier than Shi Potian.

Afterward, he enrolled in Canaan Star Martial Arts University.

According to Shi Potian, Shi Dang’s Stone People bloodline was still maturing, extremely powerful, with physical potential rivaling even that of a Golden Standard Human.

Counting it, both hailed from Qiming Star, truly “hometown fellows.”

Only, this bond of “hometown” was rather thin.

Qin Feng’s gaze lingered on that name for a few seconds.

He recalled that outside the Freshman Cup arena, when he reunited with Shi Potian, he seemed to have glimpsed a familiar figure watching them from afar but ultimately not approaching—it was this very person.

At the time, he hadn’t paid much attention.

Unexpectedly, he would take the initiative to add Qin Feng as a friend.

After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Feng still pressed “Accept.”

More friends, more paths; even if they couldn’t be friends, there was no need to shut out a fellow townsman with no deep enmity.

【You have successfully added "Shi Dang" as a friend.】

Yet, after the request was approved, the other party’s chat window fell into utter silence, with no new message sent.

Qin Feng paid it no mind.

He simply let it be, pulling his focus back to what mattered most to him.

He took a deep breath, steadying his thoughts, then deftly scrolled through his contacts, found the number he had pinned—labeled "Father"—and dialed.

The holographic projection bridged the endless sea of stars and dimensions.

The next second.

Hum—

A faint resonance sounded, and before Qin Feng’s eyes, a phantom figure, woven from countless points of light, slowly coalesced into form.

It was a familiar yet slightly unfamiliar silhouette.

His father, Qin Dahai.

At this moment, his father sat behind a wide, immaculate desk.

He wore a crisp, dark-blue uniform, with a silver badge on his shoulder signifying his managerial rank.

On the wall behind him hung a sign reading "Qiming-7 Resource Processing Plant," with a line of smaller text beneath it: Deputy Director’s Office.

His face still bore the features Qin Feng knew well, but the weariness and hardship in his brow had been replaced by a faint, dignified calm.

What made Qin Feng’s gaze freeze and a surge of warmth flood his heart was his father’s left arm.

That arm, lost on the battlefield long ago, leaving only an empty sleeve, had now grown back, whole and complete!

It was a powerful, healthy limb.

Its skin tone matched the right arm perfectly, showing no trace of new growth.

His father was holding a teacup with that hand, fingers moving nimbly.

“A-Feng.”

His father’s phantom saw Qin Feng, and an irrepressible smile of pride and joy instantly lit up his face.

“Dad.”

Qin Feng’s voice carried a faint, barely perceptible hoarseness.

Father and son, separated by an endless river of stars, gazed at each other, and for a moment, both were speechless.

It was Qin Dahai who spoke first. He set down his teacup and studied his son’s phantom intently, as if to etch every detail into his heart.

“Good, good! You’ve filled out, and you’re steadier too. Your uncle and I watched the live broadcast of the Canaan Rookie Cup. Well fought! You’ve brought honor to our Qin family!”

His voice trembled slightly with emotion.

Qin Feng just smiled and asked, “Dad, how does your hand feel?”

“Oh, this!”

Qin Dahai immediately raised his newly grown left arm, waving it excitedly, even clenching his fist hard until the joints cracked.

“It grew back ages ago! That vial of medicine you sent last time—its effect was miraculous! Less than a week after the injection, it grew back, exactly as before!”

He sighed, his face full of contented smiles.

“That’s good.”

Qin Feng’s heart was completely at ease.

“How’s everything at home? Uncle and the others?”

“Good, all good!”

Once the topic of home came up, Qin Dahai’s words flowed freely.

“Your uncle’s two boys have also made something of themselves! They both went to Qiming No.1 High School, just like you did back then! And now they’ve been out of school for two or three years.”

At this, his face grew even prouder.

“What’s more, they both got into Starry Sky Martial Universities! Not the Canaan you attended—they went to ‘Chixiao Martial University’—but that’s still one of the top hundred Starry Sky Martial Universities. Not bad, really not bad.”

His father’s face radiated genuine joy.

He sighed, “Our Lin and Qin families have been ordinary folk for generations. I never thought that in our generation, we’d produce three Starry Sky Martial University students at once! If you’d told me this before, I wouldn’t have dared to dream it!”

“Getting into a Starry Sky Martial University means there’s a very, very good chance of becoming a true planetary-level powerhouse in this lifetime! That’s the kind of big shot who can tread the starry sea!”

As he spoke, his gaze fell back on Qin Feng, his eyes growing infinitely tender and reflective.

“But you know, A-Feng, in the end, it’s all because of you.”

“If you hadn’t won those heavy honors back on Qiming Star—‘Rookie King,’ ‘Qiming Star General’—our family wouldn’t have gotten so many bonuses and resource support.”

“Your two cousins—most of the resources they used for training, to be honest, came from your light. It was the honors you fought for that paved the way for them.”

Qin Feng listened, then nodded calmly: “We’re family. It’s only right.”

He asked, “Dad, how are you doing now? I see you’ve become deputy director.”

“Haha, it’s just a nominal post!”

Qin Dahai waved his hand, though he couldn’t hide his smugness. “Now the plant has introduced fully automated smart assembly lines; there’s no need for old-timers like me to lift a finger. As deputy director, I just come in every day to drink tea and look over reports—it’s very leisurely.”

“As for my strength…”

He puffed out his chest proudly. “I’ve long recovered to the peak of a third-level martial artist! My vitality index has been stable above 30 points for a while now!”

“I also used the money you gave me last time to pull some strings and buy a decent ‘medium-level orifice-opening method’ called the ‘Rock Orifice-Opening Method.’ Now I’ve successfully opened three ‘medium acupoints’!”

“Mm, that’s good.”

Qin Feng offered sincere praise.

Given his father’s age and his once-damaged foundation, reaching this point was no small feat. The effort behind it must have been immense.

“Haha!”

Qin Dahai, receiving his son’s approval, laughed even more heartily. “Of course! You’re competing with geniuses from all over the universe at Canaan—I, as your father, can’t fall too far behind!”

His smile gradually faded, replaced by a deep, steadfast warmth.

“I have to work hard to climb the ranks of cultivation, not for anything else, but to prolong my life and live a few more years. That way, I can watch with my own eyes as my son carves out a true world of his own in this boundless starry sea.”

These simple, infinitely hopeful words made Qin Feng’s heart tremble.

He could feel the profound, ocean-deep fatherly love in those words.

It was the warmest bond, one he could never sever, no matter where he went or how strong he became.

After a moment of silence, Qin Feng said nothing sentimental. Instead, he directly called up his personal terminal and began to operate it.

“Dad, I took third place in this rookie cup. The school gave me a good reward, and I earned some money too.”

He said calmly.

“I’ve transferred 52 million to you. Keep it for yourself. If you want to buy any cultivation resources, go ahead—don’t be stingy. Your health is what matters most.”

If there's any need from uncle's side, don't be stingy. Back when our family was at its hardest, it was uncle who gave us a hand. We remember that debt of gratitude.

Ding—

On Qin Dahai's personal terminal, a transfer notification popped up with an amount so large it rendered him momentarily speechless.

He stared at that long string of zeros, his mouth opening and closing, unable to utter a word for a long time.

In the end, a thousand words condensed into a single, complex sigh, and the crystalline glint of tears he could no longer hold back at the corners of his eyes.

“Alright, Dad will do as you say.”

After exchanging a few more words of family talk, urging his father to take good care of his health and not to rush too much in cultivation, Qin Feng finally ended the call.

The holographic light and shadow dissipated, and the dormitory returned to silence.

Qin Feng sat quietly, as if the image of his father's face, brimming with pride and relief, still lingered before his eyes, and his simple yet weighty words still echoed in his ears.

“...Dad has to work hard to climb the realms of cultivation, not for anything else, but to prolong life and live a few more years. That way, I can witness with my own eyes my son carving out a true world of his own in this boundless sea of stars.”

A warm current surged relentlessly in his chest.

After a long while, Qin Feng let out a deep breath, his gaze once again sharp and resolute.

His father was striving; he had even less reason to slack off.

Seize the day!

His consciousness sank into the subspace network—[Canaan Tower].

A massive virtual light screen unfolded before him, an endless tower that seemed to pierce through the dimensions of the universe, standing silently against the backdrop of the starry sea, exuding an aura of eternity, vastness, and iron blood.

On the tower's surface, dense lines of text flowed, recording the basic rules of this giant tower.

[Above the six hundredth floor, the guardians are no longer phantom projections of common races, but battle recordings of the most powerful and monstrous students from the past twenty-two billion years since the founding of Canaan Star Martial University.]

[Defeat the recording, and your own recording may also be inscribed upon it, to be revered by billions of future students.]

Qin Feng's gaze lingered for a moment on the description of 'above the six hundredth floor,' then shifted away.

That was still far too distant for him.

His current goal was very clear.

Qin Feng's eyes fell on his own long-stagnant challenge record.

[Current highest floor: Third floor.]

[Fourth floor challenge record: Failed (13 times).]

His thoughts drifted back to several years ago, when he first entered Canaan, full of vigor and confidence to challenge, only to be utterly crushed by the guardian of the fourth floor.

It was a Shadow Clan assassin.

A terrifying race born to merge with shadows and darkness.

In the dim, complex environment of the fourth floor, filled with obstacles and pillars, that Shadow Clan assassin was nearly invincible.

He could hide in any shadow, silent and invisible, then launch a deadly ambush with ghostly speed.

Back then, Qin Feng couldn't even touch the hem of his garment; each time, in endless frustration and helplessness, he was killed in one blow and forced to retreat in disgrace.

Those thirteen crushing defeats made him deeply realize the vastness of the universe and the strangeness of myriad races.

“Shadow Clan assassin...”

With a thought, Qin Feng chose to continue the challenge.

[Entering... Canaan Tower, Fourth Floor.]

Light and shadow shifted.

The next second, Qin Feng's figure appeared in a familiar yet oppressive dim space.

Around him were cold metal walls, and thick metal pillars like silent giants, cutting the space into fragments, casting deep, vast shadows.

In the air, there was a faint, unsettling aura of killing intent.

Qin Feng held an all-black alloy staff, standing quietly in the center of the arena.

This time, unlike before, he did not nervously look around, trying to spot the invisible enemy with his eyes.

He simply closed his eyes, immersing all his mind into the perception of the surrounding space.

Life Force Index: 532.

This was not just a cold number; it represented that Qin Feng's five senses, neural reaction speed, and even subtle energy perception had reached a terrifying height far beyond before.

In his perception, the entire space was no longer mere light and shadow, but a delicate equilibrium field composed of countless energy particles.

The flow of wind, the trajectories of dust, the ebb and flow of psionic tides... everything was clearly reflected in the lake of his mind.

He was waiting.

Waiting for the point that would break the balance.

Chi...

An extremely faint, almost negligible sound of air being cut came from the shadow behind Qin Feng's left.

It's here!

Almost at the same instant the sound arose, a shadow darker than darkness itself lunged from the pillar's shadow like a ghost, the dagger in its hand turning into a silent streak of light, stabbing straight at Qin Feng's back!

Fast! Too fast!

This strike, in both timing and angle, was perfect.

If it were Qin Feng with a Life Force Index of only 270, facing this attack, he might have flusteredly relied on battle instinct to dodge or block.

But now...

Qin Feng's eyes did not even open.

Just as the dagger was about to touch his body, he moved.

No turning, no blocking.

The black staff in his hand, in a posture completely defying physical laws, thrust backward violently!

“Wind Thunder Staff” killing move—[Wind Thunder Thrust Force]!

Wuuuum—!!!

This thrust did not produce a deafening thunderclap or stir up violent air currents.

The tip of the staff seemed to turn into an invisible vortex, and the surrounding space suddenly froze!

A “force” condensed to the extreme, filled with explosive and penetrating power, burst forth from the staff tip like a breached flood!

That power was not mere physical impact.

It was more like a high-frequency vibration, an omnipresent energy conduction!

That Shadow Clan assassin, who had just pounced from the shadow, didn't even have time to react.

Its body, composed of special energy and immune to most physical attacks, the moment it touched this “Wind Thunder Thrust Force,” was like a pond into which a powerful explosive had been thrown.

Bang!

A dull, muffled explosion.

That profound shadow, along with the poisoned dagger, burst open in midair, transforming into a myriad of light specks that dissipated into nothingness.

The entire process was clean and swift—a single strike for a kill!

From the moment the enemy launched the attack to Qin Feng's counter-kill, the whole process took less than 0.1 seconds!

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the fading light specks, his expression calm.

He didn't even bother to look back.

Because the moment he struck, he had already "seen" the outcome.

Such was the crushing force of absolute power.

With a vitality index as high as 532.0, his perception could easily capture the enemy's energy fluctuations.

And the core essence of [Wind-Thunder Thrusting Force] lay in "force penetration."

For a unit like the Shadow Clan, composed of energy and relatively weak in defense, this was a perfect counter.

[Victory in battle, gained Contribution Points x1]

[Congratulations! You have successfully cleared the fourth floor of the Canaan Tower!]

[Obtained first-clear reward: Contribution Points x50!]

A series of system prompts rang in his ears.

A satisfied smile appeared on Qin Feng's face.

Fifty-one Contribution Points—though not much, it was a good start.

His gaze turned to the staircase leading to the fifth floor, the fighting spirit in his eyes burning ever fiercer.

...

In the time that followed, Qin Feng fully unleashed a frenzy of tower-climbing.

On the fifth floor, the guardian was three "Cave Mad Bulls," known for their ferocity and physical defense.

Qin Feng wielded his long staff, meeting them head-on, unleashing the power of [Wind-Thunder Thrusting Force] to its fullest. With three strikes, all three bulls turned into specks of light.

[Victory in battle, gained Contribution Points x3]

[Cleared the fifth floor, gained Contribution Points x50]

...

On the seventh floor, his opponents were a swarm of "Metal-Eating Ants," numbering in the thousands, capable of gnawing through energy shields and martial artists' flesh.

Qin Feng switched to a spear, unleashing the mastery-level [Thousand-Army Spear]. Spear shadows multiplied, forming an impenetrable steel fortress.

[Thousand-Army Guard] protected his body, while [Thousand-Army Sweep] cleared the entire field, annihilating the ant swarm.

[Victory in battle, gained Contribution Points x1]

[Cleared the seventh floor, gained Contribution Points x50]

...

On the tenth floor, he encountered a "Bloodrage Greenskin" wielding a giant axe, its vitality index nearing 570 points, its combat style grand and wild, utterly ferocious.

Qin Feng put away his spear, fought barehanded, and countered with [Fierce Bird Fist].

His figure flickered like a hunting harrier, dodging its strength and striking its weak points. Finally, with the fusion kill move [Harrier Shadow Chase], he punched through the greenskin orc's heart.

[Victory in battle, gained Contribution Points x1]

[Cleared the tenth floor, gained Contribution Points x50]

...

Qin Feng's figure surged through the Canaan Tower like a force of nature.

Sometimes he wielded a long staff, wind and thunder roaring; sometimes a long spear, dragons and serpents rising; sometimes his fists flew like the wind, a fierce bird striking the sky.

He faced "Void Jellyfish" adept at mental attacks, using the will of [Emperor Meditation] to hold his ground and forcibly crush them.

He encountered "Mech Clan Sentinels" that could control metal, using the uncanny footwork of [Dragon-Serpent Spear] to weave through a storm of metal and strike straight at the core.

He also fell into endless illusions created by "Phantom Butterflies," but with his powerful will, he saw through the falsehoods and turned the tide.

He treated the Canaan Tower as the ultimate training ground for honing his killing arts.

Every battle was a test and optimization of his own martial path.

His four mastery-level killing arts grew ever more seamless and harmonious under this high-intensity combat.

Especially the newly learned [Wind-Thunder Long Staff], its proficiency visibly skyrocketing.

Fifteenth floor...

Twentieth floor...

Twenty-fifth floor...

Qin Feng's clearing speed was astonishingly fast.

Basically, before the thirtieth floor, no guardian could last more than ten moves against him.

Most were cleanly dealt with within three moves.

Finally, after clearing the thirtieth floor and piercing a "Khrone Devotee" with a vitality index of 570 points using [Dragon's Cache] charged counterattack, he stepped onto the staircase to the thirty-first floor.

[Cleared the thirtieth floor, gained Contribution Points x50]

The system prompt lifted Qin Feng's spirits.

He estimated that for the first hundred floors, each would provide 50 Contribution Points, with the reward increasing only after passing the hundredth floor.

[Entering... Canaan Tower, thirty-first floor.]

The scene before him shifted once more.

This time, he arrived on a rocky plain, thick and oppressive.

The ground was grayish-brown, hard as iron.

On the plain stood a massive rock throne, as if fused with the earth itself.

Seated upon the throne was a towering figure.

It was a humanoid creature made entirely of dark-golden rock, over four meters tall, with bulging muscles radiating explosive power.

Its body was covered in profound, ancient golden patterns, as if naturally inscribed with principles and truths.

It sat there silently, exuding a terrifying aura—mountainous, unshakable, as if it could crush the eternal sky.

[Guardian: Stone Clan Champion Warrior (Phantom)]

[Vitality Index: 610.0]

[Killing Arts: [Pebble Fist] (Perfected), [Star-Shattering Hammer] (Perfected)...]

Seeing this string of data, Qin Feng's pupils sharply contracted.

Stone Clan!

And he is a "Champion Warrior" of the Stone Clan!

His life force index has reached 610 points!

This has completely surpassed him.

Even more terrifying is that in his opponent's profile, the long list of perfected killing techniques all indicate that this is a fearsome existence with no weaknesses, an all-around offensive and defensive powerhouse.

"No wonder the forum says the thirtieth floor is a threshold, the limit of the 'Superior Acupuncture Method.'"

Qin Feng muttered to himself, his expression more serious than ever.

"Above the thirty-first floor is indeed the domain of the 'Ultimate Acupuncture Method.'"

He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the long spear.

Even knowing his opponent was powerful, he had no thought of retreating.

Without fighting a battle, how could he know how great the gap truly was?

Fight!

The Stone Clan warrior on the throne slowly rose to his feet.

Boom!

The moment he stood, the entire rocky plain seemed to tremble with him.

His eyes, made of molten lava, coldly locked onto Qin Feng.

The next second, he moved.

Without any flashy footwork, he simply took a step toward Qin Feng.

With that single step, his massive body instantly crossed hundreds of meters, appearing before Qin Feng. The giant hammer made of rock, tearing through the air with a howl, came crashing down!

Fast!

A speed utterly incompatible with his enormous frame—extreme speed!

Qin Feng's pupils shrank to pinpricks.

Without thinking, he pushed the footwork of [Thousand Army Spear] to its limit, transforming into a streak of light as he dodged to the side.

[Flowing Light Chasing Shadow]!

But the giant hammer seemed to anticipate all his movements. Its trajectory dropped, sealing off every possible retreat with an even more brutal force!

No escape!

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Qin Feng's eyes. He stopped dodging.

He held the spear horizontally before his chest, his spiritual energy surging wildly within.

[Dragon's Hide]!

He unleashed his strongest defense, ready to withstand this blow!

Boom—!!!!

The giant hammer and the long spear collided with a thunderous roar.

An indescribable, mountain-shattering, tsunami-like force surged through the spear shaft, madly pouring into Qin Feng's body.

Crack!

The long spear in Qin Feng's hands, forged from special alloy, let out a pained groan. Cracks like a spiderweb instantly spread across its shaft.

His entire body felt as if it had been struck head-on by a high-speed meteor. The bones in both arms shattered instantly, his internal organs churned like a stormy sea. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his body uncontrollably flying backward, slamming heavily into a rock wall hundreds of meters away.

Instant kill!

A complete and utter instant kill!

[Challenge Failed.]

A cold prompt sounded.

With a flash of light, Qin Feng's figure reappeared in the preparation space of Canaan Tower.

He gasped for breath, his face pale, his eyes filled with lingering shock.

"So this is... the strength of a Stone Clan Champion Warrior?"

He looked down at his hands. Though his injuries would heal instantly in the virtual space, the excruciating pain of shattered bones and torn organs still lingered in his nerves.

"Such immense power... such overwhelming suppression..."

Qin Feng quickly calmed down and began to review.

"Again!"

Qin Feng did not lose heart. The fighting spirit reignited in his eyes.

If once wasn't enough, then ten times! If ten times weren't enough, then a hundred times!

He refused to believe he couldn't find even a single flaw!

Fight!

...

Half an hour later.

[Challenge Failed.]

Qin Feng's figure was smashed into a speck of light by the Stone Clan warrior for the seventeenth time.

He exited the challenge space, somewhat numb.

In this half hour, he had tried every tactic he could think of.

He tried using the ultimate penetration of [Wind Thunder Chasing Shadow] to attack the opponent's joints and energy core—only to have his spear shatter while the opponent remained unscathed.

He tried using the erratic footwork of [Dragon Snake Spear] to engage in close combat, seeking a weakness—only to be stunned by a single "Earth Stomp" that sent his spiritual energy into chaos, leaving him immobilized before being taken out by a hammer blow.

Total suppression!

Strength, defense, speed, technique, realm... in no aspect could he gain an advantage.

"Ha..."

Qin Feng let out a long sigh and shook his head helplessly.

He knew he had reached his limit.

Continuing to challenge would only be futile.

"The gap in life force index, the gap in killing technique realm, and the gap in racial talent... these three combined create too great a disparity."

He recognized this clearly.

"It seems that until my life force index catches up, or I master a few more killing techniques at the Control Realm, I won't be able to defeat this Stone Clan warrior."

Qin Feng was not discouraged. Instead, he had a clearer goal for his next steps.

This tower climb had already yielded tremendous gains.

He opened his personal panel and glanced at his contribution points.

[Contribution Points: 4639.]

Excluding the 18 points left over from before and the 3,000 points from the rookie cup reward,

this time climbing the tower, from the fourth floor to the thirtieth floor, he had harvested a full one thousand six hundred and twenty-one contribution points!

This was absolutely an unexpected windfall!

Content and satisfied, he exited the virtual space of Canaan Tower, and Qin Feng’s consciousness returned to his real-world dormitory.

Out of habit, he opened the private forum of Canaan Star Martial University, ready to see if there was any new news.

However, the moment he opened the forum, a glaring, screen-spanning giant banner abruptly popped up, occupying his entire field of vision!

The banner was a vivid blood red, and on it, in gilded large characters, was written an extremely conspicuous announcement:

[Warm congratulations! Fearless War Group student Qin Feng (Student ID: GX7382910), striving bravely, has successfully passed the thirtieth floor of Canaan Tower. Hereby announced for encouragement!]

“Huh?”

Qin Feng was slightly taken aback.

He hadn’t expected that climbing the tower would land him on the school-wide announcement.

And immediately after, he discovered that the entire forum had been completely flooded with posts related to him.

The pinned hot posts had titles more exaggerated than the last.

[Uncrowned Rookie King, Terrifying Beyond Measure! The Rookie Cup Just Ended, and He Turns Around to Conquer the Thirtieth Floor of Canaan Tower!]

[In-Depth Analysis: The True Value of Qin Feng’s Thirtieth Floor Clear, and Why He Can Be Called ‘Qin Beast’!]

[A Bold Guess: Could This Year’s Qin Beast Leave His Mark at the Tower Top Before Graduation?]

Qin Feng casually clicked on the first post.

“Brothers, did you all see it? The school’s red banner! Qin Feng! That monster rookie who stirred up a storm in the Rookie Cup, just now, in one go, from the fourth floor, he slaughtered his way to the thirtieth! I specifically checked the record—it took less than three—holy shit! Really? Three hours to clear twenty-seven floors? That’s an average of six or seven minutes per floor? Is this even human?”

“What’s there to be surprised about? That’s Senior Qin Feng! A monster who could even defeat Senior Bayan on the arena stage. Clearing a mere thirty floors is as easy as lifting a hand, isn’t it? The uncrowned rookie king, well-deserved!”

“The thirty-first floor’s guardian, the ‘Stone Clan Champion Warrior,’ has a life force index of 610 points. You could say that from the thirty-first floor onward, it’s prepared for those cultivating the ‘Supreme Acupoint-Opening Method.’ Qin Feng got third place in the Rookie Cup, and his strength matching this point is very normal.”

“I see, learned something. So Senior Qin Feng is still pretty fierce!”

“Tsk tsk, I wonder if Qin Feng can leave a mark above the six hundredth floor before graduation? That would be truly badass!”

As soon as this comment came out, the tone of the post instantly changed.

“The guy above is dreaming of eating farts? Leave a mark? Do you know what place lies above the six hundredth floor of Canaan Tower? Do you know what kind of monsters the guardians up there are?”

“Let me give the newbies a little lesson. From the six hundredth to the nine hundred and ninety-ninth floor of Canaan Tower, the guardians are all the most, most, most monstrous batch of graduates from our Canaan Star Martial University, across all eras and all cultivation realms, over the twenty-two billion years since its founding! And this mark list is constantly refreshed and iterated!”

“For example, if you go challenge and defeat the mark on the 602nd floor, then congratulations—your battle recording becomes the new guardian of the 602nd floor. And the poor guy who was originally on the 602nd floor gets pushed down to the 601st floor. Meanwhile, the even unluckier guy on the 601st floor gets kicked straight off the list, gone forever.”

“Do you understand what this means? It means that over twenty-two billion years of time, the marks on this list have been continuously filtered, reshuffled, optimized, and strengthened by generation after generation, epoch after epoch of peerless prodigies! Those who remain on it today are monsters among monsters, prodigies among prodigies! They are, in the truest sense, the supreme strong who have dominated their peers without equal!”

“Holy shit… that sounds terrifying! Twenty-two billion years’ worth of monsters, all crammed together?”

“So, forget about Qin Feng. Our school hasn’t had a single student in over a thousand years who could successfully leave a mark above the six hundredth floor by graduation! The difficulty is too great! No matter how talented or monstrous Qin Feng is, can he outdo those ultimate freaks accumulated over twenty-two billion years of the school’s history? I don’t believe it.”

Watching the heated discussion on the forum and that cruel rule about “leaving marks,” Qin Feng’s gaze once again involuntarily turned toward the Canaan Tower application, toward that tower top that soared into the clouds, seemingly without end.

Above the six hundredth floor.

Gathered the marks of the strongest from twenty-two billion years since the school’s founding…

In Qin Feng’s heart, suddenly surged an indescribable fighting spirit—this was far more valuable than leaving a mark in the private domain of Qi Yi High, and even more an opportunity to challenge the top geniuses of the universe.

The fighting spirit surged forth violently.

(End of chapter)