Chapter 177: Crazy Harvest! Massive Resources! Combined Acupoints Twice, Shi

Chapter 177: A Frenzied Harvest! A Sea of Resources! Two Orifice Openings, Shidang's New Message.

Three days, in the eyes of a martial artist like Qin Feng who measured his cultivation in decades, were but a fleeting moment.

During these three days, he engaged in no physical training, instead pouring all his energy into a crash course on the knowledge related to the followers of "Khorne."

Like the most precise learning machine, he digested and absorbed the vast intelligence compiled by Hammer, word by word, constructing in his mind a knowledge base for hunting Shidang.

He understood the power system of Khorne's followers, learning of their morbid worship of the number "8";

He familiarized himself with the various special equipment developed by the Empire against Chaos, from "Soul-Stead" power armor to "Silence" alloy blades;

He even began studying the classic battle cases of legendary demon hunters, trying to glean even a shred of experience that could be used against Shidang.

Just as he was immersed in this sea of bloody and chaotic knowledge, an encrypted notification from Canaan University's system silently pushed to his personal terminal.

With a thought, Qin Feng opened it.

The notification was brief, a final public announcement regarding the background investigation of the "Shidang Corruption Incident."

The announcement stated that the Imperial Tribunal, after an in-depth investigation, had traced responsibility for the campus bullying Shidang suffered in his childhood on the Star of Enlightenment.

The investigation results showed that the ideological and political department and relevant teachers of Star River Military Martial Arts High School had followed procedures, fulfilled their duties, and were without fault in handling Shidang's psychological issues.

The root of the problem was traced back to Shidang's middle school years.

That middle school teacher who had accepted bribes, tacitly allowed, and even secretly supported the bullying of Shidang by wealthy students, had been taken from his retirement post by Imperial law enforcement.

All his property was confiscated, and he was sentenced to "three hundred years of mining labor," and had been stuffed into a giant mining machine the previous day to begin serving his sentence immediately.

And a middle school teacher, generally only at the third-level martial artist level, had a lifespan of only about one hundred and fifty years.

As for the other involved parties, all were held accountable and received extremely severe sentences, especially the parents who tacitly allowed the bullies.

...

Looking at this cold, Imperial-style, iron-blooded and efficient judgment notice, Qin Feng didn't know what to say for a moment.

He turned off the light screen, and the room returned to darkness.

Childhood might truly become a shadow over one's entire life.

That seemingly healed scar could be torn open by the whispers of Chaos at an unguarded moment, spilling pus and blood enough to drown reason.

He still clearly remembered how, when his father Qin Dahai saw the clear bruise on his face, those calloused hands trembled, and how a towering rage erupted in his eyes.

His father didn't choose to let things slide; instead, he directly took him to the principal's office.

Homeroom teacher Li Weiguo and the principal, after understanding the whole story, showed great concern.

They didn't favor anyone but immediately launched an investigation and imposed severe punishments on the bullies.

From then on, no one bullied him again.

A small fork in the road led to completely different lives.

If his father had chosen to swallow his anger back then, if Teacher Li Weiguo and the principal had chosen to smooth things over... what would he have become?

Qin Feng dared not think deeply.

Just then, a mechanical prompt devoid of emotion sounded in his mind, interrupting his thoughts.

"Master, Imperial Standard Time has arrived. The 70th Legion Ranking Tournament has officially begun."

It was Hammer's voice.

"Good."

Qin Feng's gaze instantly withdrew from reminiscence, returning to calm and focus.

He immediately opened the Warp network panel and skillfully entered Canaan Star Martial Arts University's private domain.

On the original main interface, a new, golden-glowing section had appeared—[Tournament Missions].

He focused his mind on it.

Buzz—

The scene before him opened up, and a vast, boundless mission list, like a magnificent galaxy, unfolded before his eyes.

Countless mission messages, like stars in the galaxy, dense and layered, stretched beyond sight.

Behind each mission, the name, reward, and most importantly—the difficulty level—were clearly marked.

What slightly startled Qin Feng was that this vast, sea-like array of tournament missions was only the content of the [Fifth-Level Martial Artist Mission Zone].

He dared not imagine how enormous the entire tournament mission pool must be.

"Hammer, filter for [Easy] difficulty missions, requiring [Solo Missions]." Qin Feng immediately issued the command.

Now was not the time to aim too high; he needed to find the simplest mission to familiarize himself with the entire process and test his current strength.

"Yes, Master. Filtering for you..."

Hammer's efficiency was extreme. In just one second, the vast galaxy of missions rapidly shifted, leaving only a few dozen qualifying missions clearly displayed before Qin Feng.

Qin Feng's eyes swept quickly.

[Mission: Escort a merchant convoy to the Talan Star System]

[Mission: Clear out interstellar locusts in the K-78 asteroid belt]

[Mission: Survey the geological structure of Planet Z-9]

...

His gaze finally settled on one of the missions.

[Mission Name: Clear out the "Blood Axe" Interstellar Pirate Group]

[Mission Type: Solo Mission]

[Mission Difficulty: Easy]

[Mission Objective: Eliminate all living forces on the main cruiser of the "Blood Axe" pirate group.]

[Mission Intel: The strongest target is a martial artist who has just entered the fifth level; the ship is not equipped with psychic shielding.]

[Mission Reward: 1000 Contribution Points, 3000 Legion Reputation, 1 Competition Point.]

That's the one.

Qin Feng chose this mission not only because it was the easiest and suitable for warming up, but also for a small selfish reason.

"Perhaps I can scavenge some spoils from this group of interstellar pirates," he thought to himself.

"See if there are any useful weapons. If I can capture a fifth-level alloy spear, that would be perfect."

He was currently still using a fourth-level alloy spear.

Without any hesitation, he directly selected to accept the mission.

[Mission Accepted! Warp teleport coordinates locked. Depart within ten minutes!]

Qin Feng stood up from the cushion and walked to the center of the training room.

With a thought, the brand-new "Minglong I" power armor from his storage unit was instantly released.

"Clang! Clatter! Crack—"

A series of crisp, metallic clicks, full of mechanical texture, rang out one after another by his ear.

Shoulder guards, chest plate, arm guards, leg guards…

Each heavy component, gleaming with cold metallic light, fit perfectly against his body with uncanny precision.

The broad and massive shoulder guards, like two small fortresses, were carved with a snarling, coiled Eastern dragon relief, exuding a wordless majesty.

When the last piece—the tactical helmet, shaped like a fearsome dragon’s head—slowly descended and fully encased his head, with a soft "click" and the glow of crimson light on the visor, a steel giant, fully three and a half meters tall, brimming with iron blood and killing intent, stood silently in the center of the training chamber.

The next second, with a faint spatial fluctuation, the steel giant’s form flickered slightly and vanished from the spot without a trace.

…

Deep in the cosmos, a roughly built warship, its hull emblazoned with a blood-red axe emblem, sailed quietly.

Inside the cabin, a foul stench of alcohol, sweat, and cheap fuel mingled together.

Everywhere were bare-chested interstellar pirates, their bodies covered in chaotic tattoos.

Some gambled, some cleaned their weapons, others chased and roughhoused—the entire ship was filled with chaos and clamor.

There were about a hundred or so pirates on this vessel.

Just then, at the center of the main corridor, the air suddenly twisted like ripples on water.

In the next instant, a towering, three-and-a-half-meter steel giant, fearsome and menacing, appeared out of nowhere, crashing heavily onto the alloy deck with a dull, thunderous boom.

"Thud—!"

The entire corridor fell into dead silence.

All the pirates froze in their movements, staring dumbfounded at this sudden, terrifying steel construct that radiated an oppressive aura; their minds struggled to process the sight.

"What is that thing?"

"Power armor?!"

"Enemy attack!! Enemy attack—!!!"

A shrill, distorted scream finally shattered the silence and ignited chaos.

The pirates howled, instinctively raising their blasters and chainswords, unleashing a frenzy of firepower at Qin Feng.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat—!"

"Whirrr—!"

Countless energy beams and whirring chain blades slammed into the "Minglong I" power armor.

Yet these attacks couldn’t even leave a scratch on the thick plating, only raising feeble energy ripples and sparks.

Qin Feng couldn’t be bothered to activate his energy shield.

He raised his hand, and the fourth-grade alloy spear brought a storm of death.

"Shlick!"

The spear swept across, leaving a blur in its wake.

The three pirates at the front didn’t even have time to scream; their upper bodies were torn apart and vaporized by the terrifying kinetic force, leaving only their lower halves to collapse limply.

"Kill!"

From beneath the helmet came a cold, electronically synthesized growl.

Qin Feng took a step forward; his three-and-a-half-meter frame moved with a ghostly speed utterly at odds with its size.

Like a prehistoric tyrannosaur charging into a flock of sheep, his spear turned into a black lightning bolt, unleashing a one-sided, bloody massacre in the narrow cabin corridor.

Each swing inevitably claimed several lives.

The spear thrust like a dragon; wherever it passed, flesh flew and severed limbs littered the ground.

"Hurry! Go get the boss!!"

"We can’t hold out! This thing’s a monster!!"

Just as the pirates wailed and their formation collapsed, a furious roar came from the end of the corridor.

"Get the hell out of my way!"

A burly man over two meters tall, with bulging muscles and wielding a massive energy battle-axe, shoved aside the underlings blocking his path and charged out.

He was the ship’s captain, a martial artist who had just reached the fifth rank.

"Whatever you are, die!!"

The pirate leader bellowed, his body erupting with the fierce aura of a fifth-rank warrior. The energy axe in his hand blazed with blinding light as he swung it down viciously at Qin Feng’s head.

Qin Feng didn’t even glance at him.

He swung his spear toward the crowded pirates ahead.

"Thousands Retreat!"

Whoosh—!

Thud, thud, thud, thud…

In a series of dull sounds of blades cutting flesh, the dozen or so underlings in front of the pirate leader were sliced cleanly at the waist; their upper halves slid off, spilling entrails and blood across the floor.

The spear’s energy, having cleared all the minions, didn’t lose momentum and struck the pirate leader precisely in the midsection.

The ferocious expression on the pirate leader’s face froze instantly.

He looked down, incredulous, as his body slowly split apart from the middle.

"I…"

He managed only one word before the surging, violent force tore him completely in two.

Thus, the battle ended.

Qin Feng slowly roamed the ship, his spiritual power sweeping every corner, searching for any wealth the pirates might have hidden.

The result left him deeply disappointed.

Apart from finding some women locked in the lower hold, their eyes numb, kept as playthings, the entire ship didn’t have a single high-purity spirit crystal.

"What a pity—these guys were on a roaming cruiser; the good stuff is probably stashed at their base."

Qin Feng sighed inwardly.

He didn’t waste time. He directly opened the ship’s emergency escape pods, set a course to the nearest life-bearing planet’s space base, and sent all the rescued women inside.

After that, he submitted a mission completion request on the task panel.

[Mission confirmed complete, calculating rewards…]

The next second, his form vanished from the pirate ship once more.

When Qin Feng opened his eyes again, he was back in his quiet dormitory.

At the same time, Hammer’s prompt sounded.

"Master, the mission rewards have been credited."

[Contribution Points: +1000]

【War Band Reputation: +3000 points】

【Competition Points: +1 point】

The cold metal walls, the quiet cultivation chamber.

Qin Feng stood in the center of the room, his body just returned from the teleportation, still carrying a faint, barely perceptible ripple of spatial fluctuation.

But he did not immediately begin his next move. Instead, he stood still, rapidly organizing all the information from the just-completed mission in his mind.

"From accepting the mission to returning to the dormitory, the entire process took less than half an hour."

"The mission rewards are extremely generous."

He called up the mission settlement panel, staring at the clear numbers on it, calculating swiftly in his mind.

"Contribution points: 1000. With the triple boost, War Band Reputation: 3000."

"Competition Points: 1 point."

"By this standard, to obtain the lowest-tier C-grade customized resource pack, which requires 100 points, I would need to complete exactly one hundred such simple missions."

The number seemed large, but Qin Feng focused on another, more tempting possibility.

"Mission difficulty—what they call 'simple'—has an upper limit of a fifth-level martial artist. Moreover, according to the intelligence, it's the kind that practices a superior opening method, with a life force index hovering around 570."

To him, opponents of this level were no different from ants.

"If... I could keep farming points like this—"

In an instant, Qin Feng's eyes lit up.

With his current strength, completing such a mission didn't even count as a warm-up.

Half an hour already included the round-trip time of interstellar teleportation.

If he compressed it to the limit, twenty minutes per mission wasn't impossible.

Even at half an hour each, working nonstop day and night, he could theoretically complete nearly fifty missions.

In a single day, just from War Band Reputation, he could gain an astonishing 150,000 points!

That was a number that would drive any student insane.

"If I keep executing simple missions..."

Qin Feng was about to ask Hammer, but Hammer's voice rang out at just the right moment.

"Master, there is a logical flaw in your calculation."

"According to the basic rules of the Empire's mission system, to ensure fair training for martial artists of all levels and to prevent high-level martial artists from maliciously monopolizing resources, the system does not allow members to accept too many missions far below their own strength rating."

Hammer called up a detailed set of rules and displayed them clearly before Qin Feng.

"The system has assessed your overall strength and designated your mission 'adaptation zone' as [Warrior Level]. You can freely accept Warrior-level, Hell-level, and Nightmare-level missions without limit. However, for missions below your adaptation zone—namely Hard, Adventure, and Simple—the total number you can accept is capped at 10."

"I see."

Qin Feng immediately understood the logic behind this.

He knew very well that these missions, with their lavish rewards, were essentially a form of investment and training by the Empire and Canaan Star Martial Arts University for all martial artists.

Each mission was a whetstone carefully prepared for martial artists of a corresponding strength range.

If high-level martial artists were allowed to use their strength advantage to crush and harvest resources meant for lower-level martial artists, it would completely violate the purpose of training, creating a vicious cycle where the strong grew stronger and the weak had no path forward.

Thus, this iron rule of "not allowing excessive acceptance of missions below one's strength" was inevitable.

Of course, Qin Feng also understood that this rule only applied to the "non-strategic mission zone" he could currently access.

In the Empire's higher-level "strategic mission zone," to ensure the absolute success of certain critical missions, the Empire would not hesitate to deploy experts several realms above the target, crushing a rebellion or slaying an elite alien prodigy with overwhelming force.

In such cost-no-object operations, so-called "fairness" was the last thing considered.

But that was not something he needed to worry about now.

"Ten times... that's fine." Qin Feng quickly made his decision. "I'll use up the quota for these ten simple missions first. Fast and low-risk, the accumulated contribution points and reputation won't be insignificant."

"Hammer, continue accepting [Simple]-level [Solo Missions]."

"Yes, Master."

In the following hours, Qin Feng transformed into the most efficient and ruthless mission-executing machine.

Without a moment's pause, the instant one mission was completed, he immediately accepted the next.

His figure appeared in various corners of the universe through repeated subspace teleportations.

Cleaning out scavenger gangs holed up in abandoned space stations, living off plunder;

Recovering an Empire probe that had crashed into the storm core of a gas giant during a mission;

Scouting a desolate star system suspected of low-level insectoid activity...

Most of these missions were clean, straightforward exterminations. Qin Feng would teleport in, crush the opposition with brute force, and submit the mission—the entire process flowing like water, seamless and smooth.

Only a few reconnaissance missions took him relatively more time, requiring him to suppress his aura, infiltrate the target area, and gather enough intelligence before leaving.

When the notification for the tenth mission completion sounded, Qin Feng took another look at his mission panel.

Because a few recovery and reconnaissance missions had slightly lower rewards than the extermination ones, the final earnings were not a round number.

【Contribution Points Balance: 9800】

【War Band Reputation Balance: 29400】

【Competition Points: 10】

Looking at this "fortune" earned in less than a day, Qin Feng did not hesitate. He immediately began the long-awaited "spending" phase.

The path of revenge was long and arduous.

Every resource must be used where it could most enhance immediate combat power.

"Hammer, open the War Band exchange shop and purchase the following items."

His instructions were clear and precise.

"First, purchase the fifth-grade alloy spear, 'Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate.'"

【Item Name: Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate】

【Type: Fifth-grade Standard Alloy Spear】

【Value: 5000 Contribution Points】

"Second, purchase ten second-grade killing techniques. Requirements: five spear techniques, five fist techniques. All must focus on offense and speed."

【Second-grade Killing Technique Manuals x 10】

【Unit Price: 300 Contribution Points】

【Total Price: 3000 Contribution Points】

"Purchase."

With Qin Feng's confirmation, the 9800 Contribution Points that had just arrived in his account drained away like flowing water.

【Contribution Points Balance: 1800】

In an instant, only this remained in the account.

But Qin Feng spent it without a shred of regret.

Good steel must be used on the blade's edge.

Next, he was about to challenge the "Warrior-level" missions.

The enemies there would be true powerhouses, with life force indices equal to or even higher than his own.

Equipment and killing technique reserves must never fall behind others.

Having spent his contribution points, his gaze immediately turned to the equally generous reputation points.

"Hammer, open the War Group Reputation Resource Vault."

A redemption list, entirely different from the contribution point mall, appeared before him.

Here, there were no weapons or armor, only various rare, top-tier potions and resources for aiding cultivation.

Qin Feng's gaze precisely locked onto the target he had long planned.

[Enhanced Type II Psychic Potion: Value 800 Reputation Points per vial]

[Enhanced Type II Deep Repair Medicinal Bath: Value 400 Reputation Points per portion]

[Enhanced Type II Mental Strength Recovery Potion: Value 500 Reputation Points per vial]

These were the most efficient cultivation resources, perfectly suited to his current life force index of 3600 points!

"Redeem 'Enhanced Type II Psychic Potion,' twenty vials."

-

16,000 Reputation Points;

"Redeem 'Enhanced Type II Deep Repair Medicinal Bath,' twenty portions."

-

8,000 Reputation Points;

"Redeem 'Enhanced Type II Mental Strength Recovery Potion,' ten vials."

-

5,000 Reputation Points;

A series of redemption commands were issued, and his newly acquired 29,400 Reputation Points were instantly swept clean, leaving only a pitiful 400 points.

And the very next second after he completed the redemption.

Hum—

Within his subspace storage unit, a soft radiance shimmered out of nowhere.

An alloy spear, its entire body bearing a koi-like, reddish-gold luster, floated silently there.

The spear shaft was covered in dense, dragon-scale-like patterns, and the spearhead was forged into a ferocious dragon head with a gaping maw, its two eyes inlaid with unknown crystals, as if containing life, flickering with chilling light.

Beside the spear, dozens of sci-fi-styled metal potion vials and sealed resource boxes were neatly stacked, filled with top-tier cultivation potions that could drive ordinary martial artists mad.

As for the killing techniques, they transformed into data streams, all surging into Qin Feng's subspace network; he only needed to watch holographic projection videos to learn them.

Weapons, killing techniques, elixirs...

Everything was ready.

—

Qin Feng did not rush to immediately begin the next "Warrior-level" mission.

One must eat bite by bite, walk step by step.

Having just acquired new weapons, new killing techniques, and a vast amount of cultivation resources, what he needed most now was not to blindly plunge into battle, but to convert these external resources into his own tangible combat power as quickly as possible.

Especially the "Great Sun Acupoint Fusion Art."

This technique was the sole cultivation method for the fifth-level Acupoint Fusion realm.

Qin Feng sat cross-legged, his mind calm as still water, but his thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the last time he attempted to cultivate this technique.

That was after the Newcomer Cup ended; he had been equally elated, trying to push through in one go and begin the fusion of acupoints.

However, reality dealt him a heavy blow.

At that time, he had only used "Superior Psychic Potion."

The psychic energy contained in that potion might have been sufficient for opening Great Sun Acupoints, but when facing the chasm of "acupoint fusion," both the quality and quantity of its psychic energy proved utterly inadequate.

No matter how he assaulted, those two Great Sun Acupoints, already fully opened and like miniature suns, only trembled slightly, showing no sign of merging.

That failure made him deeply understand the difficulty of "acupoint fusion" and realize that without sufficient resources as fuel, all efforts were in vain.

But this time, it was different.

Qin Feng's consciousness sank into the storage unit, gazing at the "Enhanced Type II" series potions radiating powerful energy fluctuations, his eyes filled with determination.

These were top-tier goods, a full two grades higher than the Superior Psychic Potion!

Whether in purity, intensity, or total quantity of psychic energy, they were worlds apart from the former!

"For this seclusion, I don't seek to fuse many acupoints."

Qin Feng set a clear goal in his heart, "The primary purpose is testing. I want to see, with ample resources, just how fast my limit for acupoint fusion cultivation can be."

"Secondly, I need to estimate the total resource consumption and approximate time required to ultimately fuse all three hundred and sixty Great Sun Acupoints into a single 'Origin Acupoint.'"

Only by mastering these basic data could he formulate the most precise and efficient plan for the path of revenge ahead.

Thus, he was not anxious to immediately undertake those "Warrior-level" missions.

Sharpening the axe does not delay the cutting of wood.

Having made up his mind, Qin Feng hesitated no longer.

He activated the highest-level seclusion mode of the training room, cutting off all internal and external communication and information.

Then, he took out the first vial of "Enhanced Type II Psychic Potion."

The pale golden liquid flowed slowly within the metal vial, like molten gold, exuding an energy fluctuation that made one's heart tremble.

Qin Feng drank it in one gulp.

Boom—!

A terrifying heat surge, more than ten times fiercer than the last, exploded instantly within his body!

If the previous Superior Psychic Potion was like a surging river, then this Enhanced Type II potion was a monstrous tsunami capable of drowning a continent!

That pure and vast psychic energy burst open like ten thousand suns simultaneously within his limbs and bones, the violent energy instantly flooding every meridian and every cell in his body!

Qin Feng grunted, his long-tempered frame feeling a tearing, searing pain.

But the light in his eyes grew ever brighter!

This was the feeling! This was the intensity!

Biting back the agony, he immediately activated the "Great Sun Acupoint Fusion Art," while using the "Great Sun Visualization Art" to steady his mind, guiding this torrent of violent energy toward two preselected targets among the three hundred and sixty Great Sun Acupoints within him, launching the most ferocious assault!

His body transformed into a colossal furnace undergoing nuclear fusion.

“Merge!”

Driven by his spiritual will, the two originally independent, radiant Great Sun Acupoints, under the terrifying pressure of external energy, began to be forcibly pushed toward each other.

Their edges made contact, erupting with blinding light and a dreadful repulsive force, like two stars colliding. Each collision sent violent tremors through Qin Feng’s body, his meridians cracking inch by inch.

Such was the difficulty of “acupoint fusion”!

It was not simple opening, but the compression and fusion of already formed, stable energy centers at a higher level!

Its difficulty was more than ten times greater than that of opening acupoints!

Time lost all meaning amid endless pain and concentration.

When the energy of one psychic potion was exhausted, Qin Feng immediately swallowed a second.

When the damage to his body accumulated to a certain point, he paused his assault and immersed himself in “Enhanced Type II Deep Repair Bath,” capable of repairing genetic chains.

When his mental strength grew weary from prolonged intense focus, he took an “Enhanced Type II Psychic Recovery Potion,” replenishing his depleted mental ocean.

Cultivation, healing, mental recovery…

This process formed a perfect, high-intensity cycle.

Qin Feng squeezed every ounce of his potential to the limit, like a tireless machine, day after day, repeating this monotonous and painful training.

Four months passed in a flash.

When the energy of the last bottle of repair bath was fully absorbed, Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze held a hint of undeniable exhaustion, but more than that, a calm born of testing his results.

All his resources were now depleted.

And within his body, in that “Great Sun Star Chart,” the original three hundred and sixty brilliant stars had now become three hundred and fifty-eight.

Among them, two stars had vanished.

In their place was a new star, noticeably brighter and more solid than all the surrounding Great Sun Acupoints!

This was the product of successfully fusing three Great Sun Acupoints.

He had successfully performed acupoint fusion twice.

The first fusion created a super Great Sun Acupoint; the second used that large acupoint to merge with another Great Sun Acupoint.

To forge a prime acupoint, three hundred and fifty-nine fusions were required.

“Hoo…”

Qin Feng let out a long breath of stale air, feeling the subtle changes within his body.

His life force index had risen from 3600.0 points to 3620.0 points.

Four months of extreme seclusion, consuming vast quantities of top-tier resources, had ultimately increased his life force by only 20 points.

“The difficulty of acupoint fusion has indeed skyrocketed. Still, maintaining a pace similar to when I was opening acupoints, despite the increased difficulty, is quite commendable.”

Qin Feng analyzed calmly.

Back when he opened acupoints, it also took several months to open a few.

Now, with fusion, the difficulty had surged, but the speed hadn’t dropped too much—all thanks to the powerful effects of the “Enhanced Type II” potions.

But then, his brow furrowed tightly.

“Four months, two fusions…”

He began calculating rapidly in his mind.

“Based on this rate, to complete all fusions, I would need at least… sixty years!”

Sixty years!

And this number assumed that for the next sixty years, he did nothing else—no eating, no drinking, no missions, just staying in the training room with an endless, sufficient supply of top-tier resources!

This was utterly impossible.

“No, too slow! Too slow!!”

This conclusion made Qin Feng’s heart sink instantly.

Sixty years?

By the time he emerged from seclusion sixty years later, how powerful would Shi Dang, blessed by the Chaos God Khorne, have become?

The followers of Khorne thrived on war, trading slaughter for power.

Shi Dang’s talent was already considerable, and now with the “gift” of the Chaos God, his strength would only snowball, growing ever more terrifying.

The gap between them would not shrink but widen!

“I must find a way to speed this up!”

“I must kill Shi Dang as soon as possible, never giving him the chance to grow unchecked!”

This thought rang like an alarm bell in his mind.

“How else can I increase my cultivation speed?”

Qin Feng sank into deep thought.

His technique was already the top-tier “Great Sun Acupoint Fusion Method.”

His resources were already the most efficient “Enhanced Type II” series he could obtain.

His will and effort were already pushed to the limit.

Where else could he break through?

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.

“The Ten Complete Hands?”

He recalled that nurturing method, an empire-level strategic art personally taught to him by Zhou Xiong, a company commander of the Ultramarines and a black hole-level powerhouse!

“Nurturing method,” as the name implied, was a technique to assist and nourish a martial artist’s cultivation.

A powerful nurturing method could comprehensively enhance a cultivator’s recovery speed, energy absorption efficiency, and even the harmony between body and technique!

Perhaps the key to breaking the deadlock lay here.

With this thought, Qin Feng immediately immersed his mind into his own attribute panel.

A faintly glowing data panel, visible only to him, appeared clearly before his eyes.

[Refining Method]

Great Sun Acupoint Opening Method (Grand Perfection)

Great Sun Acupoint Fusion Method (Beginner)

Proficiency: 42/100

[Nurturing Method]

Ten Complete Hands (Not Started: 0/10)

【Meditation Methods】

Great Sun Visualization Method (Great Achievement)

Proficiency: 12/10000

Imperial Meditation Method (Minor Achievement)

Proficiency: 680/1000

【Effect】：Boon Nail x1

【Combat Arts】

Cold Gleam (Mastery), Thousand-Spear Art (Mastery), Fierce Bird Fist Technique (Mastery), Dragon-Snake Spear (Mastery), Wind-Thunder Staff (Mastery)……

【Self-Created Killing Moves】

Golden Throne, Fierce Harrier Shadow Chase, Wind-Thunder Shadow Chase, Dragon's Hiding Place

Qin Feng’s gaze locked fiercely onto the 【Nurturing Methods】 column.

The words “Not Yet Started” behind “Tenfold Hands” blazed before his eyes, unbearably glaring.

“What a pity—entering the gate of Tenfold Hands is far too difficult, far too difficult.”

Qin Feng sighed.

The Tenfold Hands were of such daunting difficulty, no wonder they were one of the ultimate techniques of the Space Marine Chapter, a nurturing method used even by black hole–level warriors.

If he could grasp even a shred of the Tenfold Hands’ essence, if he could gain just a bit more proficiency, Qin Feng felt he could double his cultivation speed!

But that was not to be.

It was as hard as reaching the heavens.

With this thought, Qin Feng set aside his musings and began to examine his own panel.

“The Imperial Meditation Method progresses steadily; the Great Sun Meditation Method, because it must be paired with opening and closing acupoints, has surged ahead from behind.”

“Still, I don’t know what my mental strength is now, nor the standard—no rush for now. I’ll keep practicing meditation daily and test my mental strength once the acupoints are fully opened.”

“I’ve gained ten more combat arts; I need to hone them slowly in the coming missions.”

“Time to start accepting missions.”

Qin Feng then deftly opened the Chapter’s mission board.

What met his eyes was a glaring, rapidly flickering red announcement that instantly seized his full attention, like a blood-red lightning bolt in the dead of night, slashing fiercely into his vision.

It was… the bounty mission for the empire’s traitor, Shi Dang!

【Mission: Kill the Empire’s Traitor, Shi Dang】 has been upgraded from Warrior rank to Hell rank.

【Target’s latest life force index precisely updated: 4773.0 points】

【Known abilities updated: Confirmed mastery of multiple “Mastery-level” combat arts; mental strength is skyrocketing at an abnormal rate, now skillfully applied in actual combat—specific methods unknown.】

Such a growth rate could no longer be described as “genius” or “terrifying.”

It was an unrestrained devouring of life and soul, a most evil and mad demonic transformation!

Yet what truly made Qin Feng’s heart tighten, shattering his usual calm, was the short line at the very end of the mission info.

【Mission failure count: 2】

The number “2” was rendered in a blood-red hue, as if congealed from fresh blood—a sight that struck the heart!

Failure count: 2.

These three simple words carried a weight as heavy as Mount Tai.

They meant that in the mere four months of Qin Feng’s secluded training, two warriors who had taken this mission had already fallen on the path to hunt Shi Dang.

They set out with the resolve to purge the empire’s traitor, or for the rich rewards, but in the end, their lives, their glory, everything they had, was ended by Shi Dang’s hand, becoming part of that cold number.

“Too slow… still too slow…”

Qin Feng murmured to himself.

(Chapter End)