Chapter 178: The Terror of a Level 6 Martial Artist, Spiritual Power Killing Method!

Chapter 178: The Terror of a Sixth-Level Warrior, The Method of Mental Attack!

Inside the training room, the very air seemed to solidify because of the flickering blood-red announcement.

Qin Feng stood silently, his gaze locked onto the glaring number "2," which represented two extinguished lives.

After a long moment, he slowly shook his head.

He understood that anger and impatience at this moment would be futile.

The number of people hunting Shi Dang would only increase.

From the righteous students of Jianan Starry Sky Martial Arts University, to the cold, merciless judges of the Imperial Tribunal, and even those bounty hunters who walked the gray zones, willing to do anything for a high reward, and perhaps even planetary-level powerhouses from war bands.

But this universe was simply too vast, too empty.

Between a star system and its nearest neighbor, there were often several or even dozens of light-years of nothingness. This dark forest was a stage for all hunters, yet also the best hiding place for all prey.

Moreover, the blessed of the subspace evil gods possessed all sorts of bizarre and unpredictable means.

If Shi Dang was determined to hide, trying to find him in this boundless sea of stars was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Especially since the location of his defection was on the border of the human empire, the edge of the chaotic, war-torn battlefield of myriad races where constant battles with alien races raged.

There, space beacons were chaotic, forces were interwoven like a dog's teeth, it was the weakest area of imperial law and order, and a paradise for hiding and escape.

Therefore, even if the strong who accepted the pursuit mission included elites of various levels, or even planetary-level powerhouses who could cross the sea of stars, as long as they could not obtain Shi Dang's precise, real-time subspace teleportation coordinates, all pursuits would be in vain.

Unless... some team could withstand his storm-like attack the moment they encountered Shi Dang, and successfully upload his real-time coordinates to the imperial network, attracting nearby strong to teleport and encircle him.

Otherwise, catching this devil who was evolving madly would depend on luck.

And those two blood-red "2"s had already cruelly proven the terrible price required to achieve that.

Qin Feng forcibly expelled all these chaotic thoughts from his mind.

Waiting was not his style.

Resentment could not be transformed into power.

The only thing he could do was to use every means to make himself stronger in the shortest possible time!

"Hammer."

His voice regained its usual calmness. "Help me filter [Warrior-level] missions."

This was the most efficient training ground that his current strength could match.

"Yes, Master."

Hammer immediately began executing the command, but also popped up a friendly reminder. "According to system analysis, the vast majority of missions at Warrior level and above are [Team Cooperation Missions], whose difficulty and complexity far exceed what a single person can handle. Master, confirm filtering?"

"Confirmed."

Qin Feng did not hesitate.

"In the mission rules of the war band ranking competition, there is no restriction that team members must come from the same war band."

Hammer added, "But based on past data analysis, in 97.3% of cases, the team leader who accepts the mission will only approve applications from members of their own war band. This is an unwritten rule to maximize team cohesion and trust."

"I understand."

Qin Feng nodded.

This was easy to understand.

Warrior-level missions meant that everyone in the team had to be the elite of the elite, geniuses who cultivated the ultimate enlightenment method, and the complexity of cultivating killing methods was also very high.

Fighting side by side with comrades from the same war band, who knew each other well, naturally had far greater safety and efficiency than forming a temporary team with strangers.

Of course, there was also the issue of point distribution.

Soon, Hammer filtered out a mission that met Qin Feng's current needs.

[Mission Name: Behind Enemy Lines Raid — Destroy the Nurgle Pathogen Refinery on G-784 Battlefield]

[Mission Type: Team Mission (Required Number: 2)]

[Mission Difficulty: Warrior Level]

[Mission Reward: Contribution Points 10,000, War Band Reputation 30,000, Competition Points 10]

[Mission Status: Team Leader Ready (Dreadnought War Band), Recruiting One Member.]

Qin Feng's gaze fell on the word "Nurgle."

This was also one of the four evil gods of Chaos, representing decay, plague, and despair.

Without hesitation, he directly submitted an application to join the team.

Almost the next second after he submitted the application, the system sent a notification of approval.

[Your application to join the team has been approved. Please proceed to the exclusive teleportation area of the Dreadnought War Band within ten minutes to meet your team leader, Maiken.]

Qin Feng did not delay and immediately activated the teleportation array in his dormitory.

With a flash of light, his figure disappeared from the spot.

...

Exclusive Teleportation Area of the Dreadnought War Band.

The space here was much larger than ordinary public areas, filled with a cold, militaristic style.

A faint smell of metal and energy permeated the air. From time to time, members of the war band in various power armors hurriedly walked out of or stepped into teleportation rings. The entire area was operating in an efficient and busy manner.

Qin Feng's figure appeared at the designated meeting point.

As soon as he stood still, he saw not far away, a tall, burly figure leaning against a metal pillar, seemingly waiting for some time.

It was a dark-skinned, hairless man with a shiny bald head.

His physique was extremely tall and strong, full of explosive power. His broad shoulders and long limbs had a unique proportion that did not belong to pure humans.

At a glance, it was clear he was a hybrid of human and shadow race.

That person also noticed Qin Feng's arrival, straightened up, and walked over proactively.

"Hello, I'm Maiken."

His voice was unexpectedly gentle, forming a sharp contrast with his oppressive appearance.

A friendly smile was on his face, with no airs of a senior.

He got straight to the point and reported his information.

"Life force index 4231 points, enrolled for one hundred and eighty years."

Qin Feng immediately responded, which was the most basic respect and information exchange when forming a team.

"Qin Feng, life force index 3620 points, enrolled for forty years."

"Qin Feng..."

Maiken smiled even more when he heard the name. "Heard of you, the champion of the newcomer cup, a hot topic on the forums lately. Your name is quite famous."

There was a hint of good-natured teasing in his words.

"This mission is very tight on time, so I'll make it brief."

Maiken let his smile fade, his features tightening into a mask of grim gravity as he brought up a star map to brief Qin Feng. "In the G-784 theater, the main battlegroups of our Imperial Astra Militarum are locked in a brutal war of attrition with a horde of Nurgle's cultists. The conflict had stagnated into a stalemate, but just yesterday, the enemy deployed a novel, highly contagious plague pathogen. Our front lines have suffered catastrophic casualties and are currently in full retreat."

He pointed toward a crimson dot marked upon the stellar charts.

"According to intelligence, this is the location of the pathogen refinery. Our objective is to infiltrate deep behind enemy lines at maximum speed and completely eradicate it. The faster we arrive, the fewer brothers of the Astra Militarum will have to die. Therefore, for this operation, swiftness is paramount."

He offered a final, solemn warning: "By the way, the atmosphere within the target zone is utterly saturated with Nurgle's rot virus. Not even we can withstand it for long. For that reason, power armor must be worn throughout the duration of this mission. I have already purchased the incendiary and psychic explosive devices."

"Understood," Qin Feng replied, his nod steady and resolute.

Wasting no words, he willed his thoughts forward, summoning his pristine Dragon-Roar Type I power armor from the depths of his sub-space storage unit.

"Clang! Clank! Click—!"

Amidst a succession of crisp, rhythmic metallic snaps, the heavy plating swept over his entire frame with fluid, seamless precision.

As the ferocious, dragon-headed helm descended to seal him entirely within, a three-and-a-half-meter-tall iron titan stood monolithic upon the ground.

He extended a massive armored gauntlet, gripping the Grade-5 alloy spear known as Koi-Turns-to-Dragon—its shafts forged of pure crimson gold and its tip gleaming with a chilling, razor-sharp luster. The crimson lenses of his visor flashed with light as he spoke in a deep, resonant voice:

"Ready to deploy at any time."

"Excellent!" Maiken barked, a flicker of admiration gleaming in his eyes.

Qin Feng's sharp, unhesitating readiness pleased him immensely.

Offering no further words, Maiken likewise summoned his own power armor.

It was a heavy, utilitarian suit cloaked entirely in a drab, grayish-green hue.

With a sharp click, Maiken's donning was complete, and a massive, ferocious chainsword appeared within his grasp.

"Move out!" He growled beneath his breath, initiating the warp teleportation authorization upon his personal terminal.

The portal of light dissolved behind them, and an icy, piercing chill alongside a stench of decay so foul it provoked gagging instantly engulfed the pair like an invisible tidal wave.

They had arrived at their destination—the G-784 warzone.

Looking out across the expanse, they beheld a landscape utterly dominated by death and despair.

The sky hung in a sickly, turbid yellowish-green, resembling a colossal, festering wound weeping pus.

Floating through the atmosphere were visible, faintly shimmering spores and dust motes; every breath felt akin to inhaling a lethal dose of venom.

Across the scarred earth lay the shattered wreckage of the Imperial Astra Militarum's Leman Russ tanks and Chimera armored personnel carriers.

Choked under a carpet of green, moss-like rot, the vehicles had long since lost the metallic luster of their original hulls.

Roaming amidst these ruins were countless shambling figures.

One host comprised the plague-mutated corpses, clad in tattered military uniforms, their bodies bloated, ruptured, and erupting with pustules and tumors.

These were the unfortunate soldiers infected by Nurgle's contagion, reanimated after death by the dark gods' profane power, reduced now to walking husks driven purely by bloodlust.

The other host consisted of true Nurgle cultists.

Their flesh had undergone far more horrific mutations; some possessed bellies swollen like pregnant women, their split abdomens oozing with writhing maggots, while others bore chimney-like bone spurs protruding from their spines, continuously venting plumes of yellowish-green toxic miasma.

"Stay close to me!" Maiken's voice echoed through the comm channel, muffled by the modulation of his power armor.

Without a moment's hesitation, the massive chainsword in his hand unleashed a deafening, shrieking roar, and he surged forward like a siege tank operating at full throttle, charging directly toward the massive silhouette of the factory shrouded in the distant toxic fog!

Qin Feng remained silent, holding his spear tight as he followed in lockstep.

With every stride of his massive Dragon-Roar Type I armor, the earth trembled slightly, betraying a terrifying sense of weight and power that perfectly matched his immense stature.

"Garrrgh—"

Their sudden appearance instantly drew the attention of every monster in the vicinity.

Countless plague-mutated corpses and Nurgle cultists swarmed from all directions like sharks scenting blood in the water.

A cultist leading the vanguard brandished a rusted, filth-encrusted cleaver, hacking savagely toward Maiken.

"Out of my way!" Maiken roared, refusing to duck or weave as his chainsword traced a ferocious, upward arc.

"Vrrr—!"

Accompanied by a bone-grating sound of shearing flesh, the cultist was instantly cleaved in two along with his weapon. Foul, reeking green blood and viscera erupted everywhere.

Maiken pressed forward relentlessly, carving a bloody path through the enemy ranks with nothing but unadulterated violence.

Qin Feng acted as his flawless shadow, neutralizing every threat that surged from the flanks.

A mutated corpse lunged from behind a pile of rubble, seeking to ambush Maiken from the rear.

Without so much as turning his head, Qin Feng whipped his spear backward, driving the butt of the weapon with pinpoint accuracy squarely into the creature's skull.

"Thud!"

With a dull crack, the rotting skull burst apart like a watermelon struck by a sledgehammer.

Qin Feng's movements were fluid and seamless, possessed of a master's aesthetic grace.

Like Maiken, his strikes were broad and sweeping, yet they were far more efficient and conservative with energy, serving as a crucible to hone his newly acquired combat techniques.

His terrifying physical constitution—comparable to that of a cosmic behemoth—manifested an absurd, unreasonable might under the amplification of the Dragon-Roar Type I armor, far exceeding what his 3600-point vitality index should have permitted.

A morbidly obese cultist attempting to ram him with his bulk was casually brushed aside by the shaft of the spear; the multi-ton body was sent flying through the air for over a dozen meters as though struck dead-on by a battering ram, knocking several of its companions askew as it crashed down.

Slaying his way forward in the vanguard, Maiken grew increasingly astonished the longer they fought.

"What terrifying strength!"

He could clearly sense that every single one of Qin Feng's strikes carried a physical kinetic energy so pure it could crush anything in its path.

That was simply not a level of power that a 3600-point vitality index could unleash.

Furthermore, what struck him as most incredible was the coordination between them.

Though this was the very first time they were fighting side by side, their tacit understanding felt as though they had braved life-and-death struggles together for a century.

The moment Maiken pivoted to dodge a glob of corrosive acid fired from afar, Qin Feng's spear thrust out beneath his armpit, accurately pinning the distant, gun-wielding enemy to the dirt.

When Qin Feng executed a sweeping strike to force back the foes ahead, Maiken's chainsword followed instantly, tearing through the exposed opening with absolute finality.

Virtually no words were exchanged between them; every tactical intent was perfectly communicated through their movements, their eyes, and even the very rhythm of the battle.

"A man's reputation precedes him... this legendary 'Qin the Beast' truly lives up to his name!" Maiken could not help but marvel inwardly. "To possess this kind of power, this innate, predatory instinct for battlefield coordination..."

In this moment, Maiken even experienced a thrilling sense of fulfillment, the joy of a warrior who had finally met his match and equal.

"The main structure of the refinery is just ahead!" Maiken bellowed through the comms. "Our objective is to plant this psychic explosive device onto the core power engine of the manufacturing plant! Therefore, the defensive forces in the central hub will undoubtedly be at their strongest! Brace yourself!"

With irresistible momentum, the two shattered the outer defensive lines in short order, storming directly into the massive manufacturing facility that crouched upon the earth like an iron leviathan.

Inside the factory, the light was dim, and everywhere there were enormous cultivation tanks bubbling with green gas, along with a labyrinth of metal pipes.

The stench and decay in the air were more than ten times stronger than outside.

They had just burst into a vast central hall when a shrill voice, filled with madness and venom, exploded without warning directly in their minds!

“Vile thieves! How dare you trespass into the ‘Father’s’ sacred birthing chamber! Your flesh and blood shall become my most perfect culture medium!!”

Wuum—!

Accompanying that voice, an invisible yet razor-sharp mental shock stabbed fiercely into the brains of Qin Feng and Maiken!

“Ugh—ah—!”

Both let out a pained grunt, their faces beneath the power armor helmets instantly turning deathly pale.

It felt like a red-hot steel needle, covered in barbs, was violently stirring their brain matter.

The intense agony blurred their vision, and the combat systems of their power armor blared with piercing alarms due to the sudden mental interference!

At the far end of the hall, a tall figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

It was a man in a tattered white research suit, but his build was abnormally large.

On his face was a mad, twisted grin, and his eyes flickered with an ominous, green psychic light.

This was the final target of the mission—the medical doctor who had completely fallen!

“A sixth-rank martial artist! Psychic force interfering with reality!”

Maiken gritted his teeth and forced out these words, his body trembling slightly from the searing pain.

[Target Locked: Medical Doctor]

[Life Force Index: 3799.0 points]

[Warning: High-intensity psychic field detected!]

The power armor’s scan results confirmed Maiken’s judgment.

“This bastard… is attacking us with psychic power! Damn it!”

Maiken roared, “Quick, take out the ‘Star General Medal’! Kill him fast! Under this psychic suppression, even the Star General Medal won’t last three minutes!”

As he shouted, he fumbled with trembling hands into his storage unit, pulled out an ancient, unremarkable-looking metal medal, and slammed it onto the chest of his power armor.

Qin Feng, without a moment’s hesitation, did the same.

The “Qiming Star General” medal, personally awarded to him by the Empire after the Qiming Star inter-school tournament, was quickly taken out and fastened onto his breastplate.

The moment the medal touched the power armor, a faint yet immensely majestic and sacred will emanated from it.

This will seemed to come from the eternal, undying supreme ruler of the Human Empire, carrying an inviolable authority. Like a warm golden light, it instantly enveloped their mental world, completely dispelling the agonizing sting that had clung to them like a bone-gnawing maggot!

The headache vanished.

“Huff…” Both let out a long breath, as if pulled back to shore from the brink of drowning.

“Move!”

Without a moment’s respite, Maiken’s chainsword engine roared, and he turned into a gray-green blur, charging straight at the Medical Doctor.

Qin Feng followed closely, his “Carp Turns Dragon” spear thrusting like a dragon!

“Ignorant fools! Do you think the Emperor’s rotting will can resist the Father’s blessings?!”

The Medical Doctor let out a mad shriek, his eyes blazing with green light.

He didn’t choose to meet them head-on; instead, his body swayed eerily, and Maiken’s sure-kill sword stroke grazed his clothes, missing entirely.

At the same time, Qin Feng’s spear thrust aimed at his heart was also deflected slightly by an invisible force, leaving only a shallow wound on his shoulder.

“It’s psychic interference!”

Qin Feng immediately judged, “He’s using psychic power to distort our perception and twist our attack trajectories!”

“Kill!”

Maiken paid no heed; he knew time was precious.

His attacks grew even more ferocious, a pure trade-blow-for-blow style. The massive chainsword hacked wildly at the Medical Doctor, trying to crush all his skill with sheer brutality.

And Qin Feng’s spear technique was equally swift and fierce.

“Cold Gleam,” “Dragon-Serpent Spear,” “Thousand-Army Spear”…

One by one, killing arts long perfected to the “Mastery Realm” flowed effortlessly from his hands, forming an impenetrable net of death that constantly compressed the Medical Doctor’s evasive space, coordinating with Maiken’s frontal assault.

Under the protection of the “Star General Medal,” their cooperation was once again flawless!

Though the Medical Doctor could use psychic interference, he was not a combat-specialized martial artist. Facing the frenzied siege of two top-tier prodigies with immense combat experience and strength no less than his own, he soon became hard-pressed and perilous.

“Pfft!”

Finally, while dodging a decapitating strike from Maiken, he revealed a tiny opening.

Qin Feng seized it precisely!

The “Carp Turns Dragon” in his hand seemed to vanish for an instant.

Self-created killing move—[Fierce Owl Chasing Shadow]!

The next second, the crimson spear tip appeared as if from nowhere, with terrifying power that tore through everything, and pierced the Medical Doctor’s heart!

“Ugh…”

The mad grin on the Medical Doctor’s face froze completely.

He looked down, incredulous, at the spear piercing his chest.

“The Father… will avenge… me…”

Before he finished, Maiken’s chainsword howled down, severing his head completely.

The battle ended at two minutes and fifty seconds.

“Huff—huff—”

Maiken leaned on his chainsword, breathing heavily. His gray-green power armor bore several marks from splashes of corrosive acid.

He looked at the headless corpse on the ground and said with lingering fear, “That guy actually cultivated a fourth-rank killing art to such a level! His life force index was about the same as ours, but with the method of psychic manipulation, he could even achieve a one-shot kill… If it weren’t for the Star General Medal, we’d really have been done for today.”

Qin Feng nodded, sharing the sentiment.

That pervasive psychic sting was truly lethal.

Qin Feng also spoke, “In the very distant ancient times, people called those who mastered psychic manipulation and could influence reality with their minds ‘psychic masters.’ It wasn’t until the Emperor rose and created the current martial cultivation method that psychic training became an indispensable part of a martial artist’s practice.”

“Mm, the mind as the rudder, the body as the boat.”

Maiken smiled in agreement, his tone carrying a hint of post-escape relief, “In the end, without cultivating the mind, a powerful body only becomes the best war tool in the hands of the dark gods.”

“Thanks. If it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t have remembered the Star General Medal’s function.”

Qin Feng smiled.

“No problem. I only learned after suffering a loss myself.”

Maiken sighed, “Cultivating top-tier aperture-opening and aperture-connecting techniques gives you a life force index far beyond normal, so the missions you’re assigned face enemies who’ve learned higher-level killing arts. That makes the missions extremely dangerous. Especially at the fifth rank, facing enemies who’ve mastered psychic techniques, the mortality rate is very high.”

"That is why so many fifth-rank masters who cultivate the ultimate aperture-opening method would rather go to fight in the Canaan Tower than take on missions—only because the difficulty is immense and the mortality rate high. If not for the triple reputation, I wouldn't want to do missions either."

Listening to Mike's words, Qin Feng did not express much opinion.

He merely said, "Mm, only by passing the exam for Starry Sky Martial University and receiving abundant resources for cultivation does one earn the right to choose the ultimate aperture-opening method. For ordinary rogue martial artists, it would be even worse at the fifth rank—they can only take on death missions."

"Exactly, so 80% of rogue martial artists who cultivate the ultimate aperture-opening method die at the fifth rank."

Mike sighed, "After all, with the same life force index, one who masters the psychic method—that is, the fourth-rank killing method—can easily slay the opponent."

"..."

Mike did not lament further. He immediately walked toward the massive, complex core engine at the center of the hall, which was constantly pumping out green liquid.

From his storage unit, he took out the "Psychic Explosive Device," skillfully fixed it onto the engine's most vulnerable energy node, and set the countdown.

"Done! Let's go!"

He turned and summoned a small assault vehicle, barely large enough to hold two sets of power armor.

The two quickly boarded the vehicle. The engine blasted out powerful thrust, carrying them at top speed out of this death factory, soaring far into the sky.

Just a few kilometers after they had flown away from the factory—

Boom—!!!!

A colossal white orb, more dazzling than the sun, suddenly expanded behind them!

Then, a magnificent mushroom cloud, mixed with yellow-green smoke and dust, shot into the sky!

The terrifying shockwave swept everything within dozens of kilometers.

Light and heat devoured all the decay and filth on this land.

The small assault vehicle shuttled through subspace, leaving far behind the battlefield that had been utterly purified by light and heat.

When the blinding white light and violent energy fluctuations had completely subsided, Qin Feng and Mike, using the vehicle's built-in teleportation function, directly returned to the familiar exclusive teleportation zone of the "Fearless" War Group.

"Hum—"

With a slight spatial distortion, their tall figures in power armor reappeared in the cold metal hall.

Almost at the same moment they set foot on solid ground, Hammer's emotionless mechanical prompt sounded punctually in Qin Feng's mind.

[Mission "Behind Enemy Lines" confirmed complete. Calculating rewards...]

[Team mission. Rewards will be distributed according to team agreement.]

Qin Feng immediately opened his mission panel to check the final gains from this mission.

Since it was a two-person mission and their contributions in battle were roughly equal, the rewards were naturally split fifty-fifty.

The high 10,000 contribution points were divided equally, while the personal war group reputation and competition points were calculated independently.

[Mission reward calculation complete]

[Contribution points: +5000]

[War group reputation: +30,000]

[Competition points: +10]

Looking at the contribution points that had once again become abundant in his account, Qin Feng felt little joy.

The shock brought by that battle just now was far more profound than these numbers.

"Click, hiss—"

Beside him, Mike released the seal of his power armor, revealing his shiny bald head and a face tinged with lingering fear and exhaustion.

He looked at Qin Feng, his eyes carrying unprecedented gravity, and spoke, "Brother, I'm going to immediately buy some special equipment related to psychic protection. This mission really served as a wake-up call for me."

His tone was filled with the emotion of having survived a disaster.

"Sixth-rank martial artists are far too dangerous! Their pervasive psychic attacks are almost impossible to guard against. And this was only a 'Warrior-level' mission. I can't imagine how dangerous 'Hell-level' and 'Nightmare-level' missions will be if we take them later, and how much top-tier equipment we'll need to survive."

As he said this, a bitter smile appeared on his face, but more than that, a sense of openness.

"Still, at least there's this war group ranking tournament. The triple reputation reward gives us a chance to exchange for resources we never dared to dream of before. No matter what, it's a huge gain."

He patted the thick chest of his power armor, his eyes revealing a longing for the future.

"As long as we can smoothly get through the fifth-rank stage, fuse a 'Primordial Aperture,' and then successfully comprehend the method of psychic manipulation... then we'll truly be like fish entering the sea, birds soaring into the sky! From then on, no longer constrained like this, the path to the planetary rank will be smooth. We who have cultivated the 'ultimate aperture-opening method' will cross the 'Four Limits' much faster than ordinary martial artists!"

These words seemed both to be said to Qin Feng and to encourage himself.

"Alright, I won't waste your time."

Mike laughed heartily and extended his personal terminal to Qin Feng. "If there's a suitable mission later, feel free to contact me. Honestly, fighting alongside you feels great!"

Qin Feng also removed his helmet, revealing his calm face.

He nodded and took out his own terminal.

The two added each other as friends on the subspace network.

"See you."

"See you."

After a simple farewell, Mike turned and hurried toward the war group's equipment exchange area.

Qin Feng, meanwhile, directly activated the teleport and returned to his exclusive dormitory.

...

In the quiet training room, Qin Feng's figure reappeared.

He removed his power armor, stored it in his storage unit, then sat cross-legged and began to review the battle just now.

On his account, the 5,000 contribution points and 30,000 war group reputation lay quietly.

In his heart, the familiar question arose again: Should he immediately use these resources for a new round of seclusion, or continue doing missions to accumulate more resources and then undergo a longer, deeper seclusion all at once?

If he chose seclusion now, he might be able to fuse one or two more apertures, raising his life force index a bit.

But having just gone through a life-and-death battle, he deeply realized that in high-end combat, a mere increase of a few dozen life force index points brought far less advantage than a key piece of equipment.

"Forget it, I'll buy some equipment first."

Qin Feng quickly made his decision.

If it hadn't been for the protection of the "General's Star Medal," he and Mike would have surely died today.

This feeling of completely entrusting his life to an external object made him very uncomfortable.

Though the "General's Star Medal" was powerful, it was ultimately a last resort and could not be relied upon as a regular means.

He had to have his own reliable psychic protection equipment.

Qin Feng opened the Imperial Trading House and entered the keyword "Psychic Protection Device" in the search bar.

Instantly, a dazzling array of products appeared before him.

Qin Feng's eyes swept over the various devices of different shapes and functions, and finally, Hammer filtered out a standard piece of equipment with the best reviews.

[Model: Imperial Military Type II · Psychic Barrier Module]

[Type: Embedded Protection Device]

[Function: A power core that seamlessly integrates with the vast majority of Imperial standard power armor, generating a basic psychic barrier upon activation.]

[Protection Strength: Against a standard psychic impact of 10.0 points, it can effectively hold for one minute. Its overall utility is roughly equivalent to 50% of the basic protection provided by the "Dawnstar" medal.]

[Value: 4000 Contribution Points]

Staring at this exorbitant price, even Qin Feng, with his steady temperament, couldn't help but feel a slight shock.

A device that only offered half the effect of a "Star Medal" actually cost 4000 Contribution Points!

"Who would have thought that the 'Dawnstar' medal I had back then held such immense value," he mused inwardly.

Before, he only knew the medal symbolized honor and imperial recognition, but he never imagined it possessed such staggering worth in actual combat, especially against psychic attacks.

Still, shock aside, he couldn't skimp on the necessary expenses.

"Purchase."

Without a moment's hesitation, Qin Feng confirmed the order.

His 5000 Contribution Points instantly dwindled to just 1000.

Almost as soon as the purchase was complete, a palm-sized silver metal module, covered in intricate runes, appeared in his subspace storage unit.

He immediately summoned his "Minglong I" power armor again and, following the instructions, precisely embedded this "Psychic Barrier Module" into a reserved slot next to the power core on the armor's back.

"Hum—"

With a faint hum of energy, the runes on the module lit up one by one, perfectly linking with the armor's energy system.

Only after doing all this did Qin Feng feel a sense of relief settle in his heart.

Qin Feng sat cross-legged, his mind sinking into complete stillness, shutting out all external distractions.

He began to plan his future cultivation path with the utmost detail and rationality.

All planning had to be grounded in precise data.

And the sole, reliable reference point was his previous four-month seclusion.

"Four months, two meridian fusions, successfully merging three major solar acupoints into one."

"To achieve this, I consumed top-tier cultivation resources worth nearly 30,000 War Group Reputation Points."

His thoughts raced like a precision computer.

"My 'Solar Star Chart' consists of 360 acupoints. After the first fusion, 358 independent acupoints remain, needing to be gradually merged into the legendary single 'Prime Acupoint.'"

"These 360 acupoints require a total of 359 fusions."

A clear yet staggeringly vast task took shape in his mind.

Then came the most critical part: estimating resource consumption.

"Using the first fusion as a benchmark, two fusions cost nearly 30,000 Reputation Points. So, the total resources I need are..."

Qin Feng silently recited the astronomical figure.

"A total of 5,370,000 War Group Reputation Points."

This number closely matched his earlier rough estimate of "around 5.5 million."

It was a figure that would drive any fifth-level martial artist to despair.

Qin Feng began to make a horizontal comparison.

A fifth-level genius practicing a "supreme acupoint-opening method," diligently completing missions and participating in competitions, would likely need a century to amass such a fortune.

And that was just the time to accumulate resources.

Add the time needed for cultivation itself, and it aligned perfectly with the average time circulating within Jianan Star Martial Arts University—that ordinary geniuses needed about two hundred years to complete the "meridian fusion" stage.

"But I don't have two hundred years."

Qin Feng's gaze turned razor-sharp.

The War Group Ranking Tournament, a once-in-a-century golden period offering triple Reputation Points, only lasted thirty years!

And his enemy, Shi Dang, would never give him sixty, let alone a hundred or two hundred years, to cultivate in peace.

"I must make the most of this opportunity within thirty years, earning all the resources I need—and more!"

A new, more rational plan gradually took shape in his mind.

He would divide his cultivation into several distinct phases, alternating between them.

"First, I can't just seclude myself. Boosting my strength allows me to complete missions more efficiently. And actual combat is the best way to hone my killing techniques and battle wisdom."

"So, the initial plan should combine 'seclusion' with 'actual combat.'"

His thoughts grew clearer.

"Take a month or several months as a short cycle. In this cycle, I'll focus on missions, using earned Contribution Points to upgrade equipment, and using combat to master new techniques, honing my combat power to its current peak."

"Once I've accumulated enough Reputation Points for a short seclusion, I'll stop missions immediately, enter the training room, convert all resources into cultivation progress, and complete several 'meridian fusions.'"

"After emerging, my Vitality Index will rise, and my strength will increase. Then I can take on higher-difficulty missions, earning resources more efficiently."

"In the later phase, I'll go all out on missions, saving up enough resources for a breakthrough in one go."

"Yes, that's it."

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze devoid of any trace of confusion.

First, combine seclusion with combat, then go all out on combat, frantically accumulating Reputation Points before the thirty-year War Group Ranking Tournament ends.

(End of chapter)