Chapter 183: The Terror of a Level 6 Martial Artist, Completing a Hell-level Mission!

Chapter 183: The Terror of a Sixth-Rank Warrior, Completing a Hell-Level Mission!

Qin Feng wasted no time and began preparing for this expedition that would be a fight for survival.

His consciousness sank into the Imperial Trading Post, his gaze settling on a module of intricate design, composed entirely of azure crystals.

[Imperial Military Type III · Psychic Barrier Module]

[Type: Power Armor Plugin / Passive Defense Module]

[Effect: When the user suffers a psychic shock, it automatically generates a high-intensity defensive barrier, capable of greatly weakening the effects of psychic attacks below the sixth-rank Soaring Warrior level. The module has a built-in energy source, requiring no conscious control from the user.]

[Exchange Price: 10,000 Contribution Points.]

[Note: Imperial military production, stable and reliable. Do not activate in densely populated areas during peacetime, to avoid irreversible mental damage to ordinary people.]

A full ten thousand contribution points!

But Qin Feng did not hesitate for a moment.

Over the years of carrying out Warrior-level missions, Qin Feng had always purchased a Psychic Barrier Module and worn the Qiming General Star Medal. This was his weakness when facing sixth-rank warriors; otherwise, he would have long ago become a soulless husk under a fourth-rank killing technique.

"Exchange."

As Qin Feng confirmed with his will, the contribution points in his personal account were instantly deducted.

Next, he spent several thousand more contribution points to exchange for a "Standard Anti-Chaos Psychic Core" for his standard-issue bolter, which would allow the fired bolts to carry a faint psychic array, granting additional damage bonuses against energy beings like cultists of the Dark Gods.

Finally, he spent almost all his remaining contribution points and reputation points to purchase three "Purifier" large-area high-explosive incendiary devices.

These military-grade explosives, once detonated, were enough to turn everything within dozens of square kilometers into scorched earth and a sea of fire—the ultimate means of clearing out large numbers of low-level enemies.

When all preparations were complete, Qin Feng’s personal assets were once again drained.

Qin Feng glanced at the others, then silently took out his power armor from the subspace storage unit.

The tall, ferocious black power armor stood silently.

Qin Feng extended his right hand, brushed over the small groove on the chest plate, and firmly embedded the newly acquired [Psychic Barrier Module] into it.

"Hmm..."

With a faint hum of energy resonance, the azure module perfectly connected with the power armor’s energy core, and several barely visible energy flows spread across his entire body.

He nodded in satisfaction, then skillfully donned the power armor. With a series of mechanical clicks and airtight seals, the cold steel shell became his most solid bulwark.

The [Koi Ascending Dragon] spear was firmly secured to his back by a magnetic matrix, and on his utility belt hung the bolter and several high-explosive magazines.

At this moment, Qin Feng was like a steel god about to step onto the battlefield—silent and deadly.

Just then, a blood-red mission briefing automatically popped up in his tactical visor, filling his entire field of vision.

[Mission Name: Purification of the Blood God’s Nest]

[Mission Objective: Completely eliminate the "Blood Blade" Khorne cultist gang entrenched on the "Abandoned World" K-13.]

[Mission Type: Team Mission (Required Number: 4)]

[Mission Difficulty: Hell Level]

[Mission Rewards: 80,000 Contribution Points, 240,000 War Band Reputation, 5,000 Competition Points]

Long Yu, Nissan, and Wen Muyun had already been waiting for some time, fully armed, their auras heavy and focused.

"Ready? Let’s go."

Long Yu said, "I’m sending you the squad teleport invitation."

"Alright."

Qin Feng closed the mission briefing, nodded, and accepted the invitation.

The four exchanged glances, no words needed.

"Target: Planet K-13, coordinates locked."

"Teleportation commencing."

Space was torn apart in an instant, and dazzling light swallowed the figures of the four.

...

When Qin Feng’s consciousness recovered from the dizziness of the spatial jump, a foul air mixed with rust, sulfur, and a thick smell of blood violently poured into the external circulation filtration system of his power armor.

His vision cleared, and the scene before him made his brow furrow tightly.

The sky was a dark, oppressive ochre red, like a rusted iron plate.

The earth was cracked, showing a dark brown color as if repeatedly soaked in blood and then dried and solidified.

In the distance, on the horizon, stood several giant fortresses built from the wreckage of abandoned starships, industrial waste, and huge animal bones, piled together in a chaotic, barbaric, and mad aesthetic.

The construction style of these fortresses strongly resembled the "Ork" war band strongholds Qin Feng had seen in the Imperial data archives—chaotic, rough, yet exuding a primitive and powerful oppressive force.

And at the highest points of these fortresses, as well as on the vast plains between them, stood one after another grotesque statue of a deity.

It was a terrifying god clad in bronze heavy armor, seated on a throne as high as a mountain, built from countless skulls of living beings.

Its face was indistinct, only an endless brutality, rage, and thirst for slaughter could be felt.

The posture seemed to deliberately imitate, or rather blaspheme, the image of the Undying Emperor seated on the Golden Throne of Terra in the propaganda posters of the Human Empire.

The Blood God Khorne.

This was the lair of the "Blood Blade" Khorne cultist gang.

This group of cosmic bandits, usually like bandits entrenched in the mountains, plundered transport ships passing through this star region and squeezed out the last mineral resources of this abandoned planet.

When their desires swelled, they would even drive their cobbled-together starships into space, turning into interstellar pirates, bringing more blood and skulls to their dark god.

"It seems the intelligence is correct; these scum have formed a certain scale."

Nissan’s voice sounded in the team channel. His broadsword, wider than a door panel, was already in his hand, his tone carrying a hint of excited cruelty. "Perfect, let my ‘Skullcrusher’ have a taste."

"Stay alert,"

Captain Long Yu’s voice was as gentle and steady as ever. "According to the plan, we cut in from the west side, push through, and clear at least three peripheral outposts before their high-level combatants react. Wen Muyun, you’re responsible for left flank support. Qin Feng, your marksmanship is bold and unyielding, so you take the right flank for the breakthrough. Nissan and I will be in the center as the main assault point. Move out!"

"Understood!"

"Roger!"

With three short, forceful replies, four figures shot forward like arrows from a bow.

Nissan took the lead. His lion-like body erupted with terrifying speed disproportionate to his size. The door-panel-wide broadsword swept up a destructive metal storm and viciously charged into a group of Khorne cultists who had just rushed out of the fortress, howling as they came.

"Offer skulls to the Blood God!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The cultists roared fanatically. Their bodies had mostly undergone crude and painful modifications, muscles bulging, eyes burning with mad red light.

Yet, their fanaticism seemed laughable in the face of absolute power.

Pfft! Pfft!

Wherever Nissan’s broadsword passed, severed limbs and shattered internal organs flew together, and foul blood splattered everywhere.

He was like a siege tank charging at full speed; no cultist could stop him for even a second.

At the same time, Long Yu's figure followed like a phantom, his long blade seemingly light, yet every swing precisely sliced through the necks of those cultists attempting to flank Nissan.

The blade-light was cold and quiet, taking fresh lives without a sound, as elegant as a dance of death.

On their other flank, Wen Muyun's combat style was much more fierce.

Her twin blades were fast as lightning, each clash erupting into a piercing sonic boom, severing the enemies along with their weapons.

Meanwhile, Qin Feng carried out the "piercing" tactic that Long Yu had formulated for him.

The [Koi Transforming into Dragon] spear in his hand now seemed to truly transform into a furious dragon swimming in a sea of blood.

He used no fancy techniques, merely fusing the will of the [Qankun Spear] with [Jinluan], delivering simple, direct, yet incomparably powerful thrusts and sweeps.

Boom!

With a single sweep of the spear, the airblast exploded, and three fanatical cultists in front, along with the crude chain-swords in their hands, were instantly blasted into a spray of flesh by the terrifying force.

Facing an elite cultist wielding a power axe rushing from the right, Qin Feng’s expression remained unchanged; with a flick of his wrist, the spear shot out like a dragon!

[Streaming Light Chasing Shadows]!

The ultimate sharpness converged at the tip of the spear, arriving later but striking first, precisely piercing the center of that elite cultist's brow.

This strike not only penetrated the opponent's helmet but also shattered his entire head along with his spine into fine powder.

The cooperation of the four was absolutely perfect, like a red-hot butter knife slicing into butter, effortlessly tearing open the "Blood Blade" gang's first line of defense.

Fanatical cultists fell in droves, their blood staining the already dark brown earth beneath their feet.

However, just as they were about to breach the core area of the first fortress, a powerful aura filled with the aura of chaos and slaughter, far exceeding that of ordinary cultists, suddenly erupted from deep within the fortress!

"Be careful! It's an elite who has mastered killing methods!"

Long Yu warned in a deep voice.

Before his voice could fade, a stalwart figure crashed through the wall and appeared before everyone.

He stood nearly three meters tall, wearing a pieced-together suit of heavy power armor, and most eye-catching was the massive battle axe in his hands, wrapped in crimson lightning.

"Invaders... die!"

He let out a roar that did not sound human, and with a flash of his body, he actually left an afterimage in place, appearing at the very front of the team in an instant, his target aimed straight at Nissan, who served as the main point of attack!

The battle axe in his hands was raised high, the surrounding air seemingly sucked dry, as a heart-palpitating pressure enveloped them.

That crimson lightning was not energy, but a materialized manifestation formed by the mixture of pure slaughtering intent and spiritual force!

A level four killing method! And a level four killing method that had already reached the entry level!

Facing this earth-shattering strike, a solemn expression surfaced for the first time on Nissan’s usually familiar face, but he did not retreat; instead, he let out a furious roar, gripping his broadsword tightly with both hands, his muscles bulging as he prepared to clash head-on.

But at this moment, a faster and more precise figure blocked the space in front of him.

It was Long Yu!

"Strike together, proceed with caution."

Long Yu's voice was calm, without a single ripple of emotion.

Facing that giant axe capable of splitting mountains and cracking stones, the long blade in his hand thrust upward at an unbelievable angle, the tip lightly tapping, exactly meeting the edge of the giant axe.

Ding!

A crisp sound to the extreme rang out, completely different from the earth-shattering collision one would imagine.

Above Long Yu's blade tip, there seemed to be an indestructible force field.

The moment that violent giant axe wrapped in blood-colored lightning contacted this force field, all abnormal phenomena vanished instantly, and the violent power was like mud entering the sea, disappearing without a trace.

Now is the time!

Nissan seized this fleeting opportunity, his long-accumulated power exploding completely, his stalwart body like a fired cannonball, closing the distance in an instant.

That door-panel-sized broadsword, carrying a piercing shriek that tore the air, flashed past from bottom to top at an extremely tricky angle.

Puff!

Blood splattered.

That powerful elite cultist was neatly split into two halves from head to toe by a single blade strike.

From the moment he launched his attack to the moment he was slain, the entire process took no more than three seconds.

A troublesome, formidable enemy who had mastered a level four killing method was instantaneously killed by the casual cooperation of the two.

Wen Muyun and Qin Feng both stopped their movements, a trace of shock in their eyes.

"Did you see it clearly?"

Long Yu withdrew his long blade, his gentle voice echoing in the channel, as if conducting a battlefield lesson.

He looked toward Wen Muyun and Qin Feng, continuing: "Our spiritual force intensity has actually long reached the standard for promotion to a level six soaring martial artist. The reason we remain at level five is purely to earn more reputation and resources for the war band in the level five division of the war band ranking tournament."

"Precisely because our spiritual force intensity meets the standard, the spiritual shock attached to a newly initiated level four killing method like his is just like a gentle breeze to us, incapable of posing any threat at all."

Long Yu paused, shifting his tone to critique the two individually.

"But your spiritual force is still not enough... well,"

His gaze lingered for a moment on Qin Feng’s power armor, "Qin Feng, your situation is relatively special. Your spiritual force foundation is incredibly profound, more than twice as strong as Wen Muyun's, and very close to the promotion standard. Go back and learn a basic spiritual force manipulation method to familiarize yourself with how to project and interfere, and you can basically transition seamlessly to level six."

"As for you, Wen Muyun,"

Long Yu's tone remained gentle, "Your spiritual force is still far from it. You must put more hard work into the cultivation of meditation methods; otherwise, even if your vitality index meets the standard, you won't be able to sense and leverage that threshold."

These words made Wen Muyun nod solemnly: "I understand, Captain."

Meanwhile, Qin Feng was slightly surprised in his heart.

Spiritual force more than twice as strong as Wen Muyun's? Very close to the level six standard?

This was the first time he had received a clear assessment of his spiritual force intensity from the mouth of a truly top-tier powerhouse!

To what powerful extent the "Great Sun Visualization Method" and "Emperor Meditation Method" he had been silently practicing had tempered his soul and will finally had an incredibly clear reference point at this moment!

It turned out that in a realm he himself had not noticed, he was already walking ahead of the vast majority of his peers.

He glanced at the still-humming [Koi Transforming into Dragon] in his hand, then looked toward the shadowy area deep within the fortress that exuded an even denser scent of blood.

"Keep moving forward."

Qin Feng's voice was low and firm, filled with soaring fighting intent.

Long Yu cast an approving glance at him and nodded.

"Let's move!"

The bloody scent of the outpost had not yet dissipated, and the four people's power armor was even stained with the warm bodily fluids of the enemy, but without a moment of rest, they set out once again.

Long Yu led the way at the very front, his figure drifting like a ghost traveling through the ruins, the servo systems of his power armor controlled to be completely silent.

Nissan followed closely behind; his stalwart body should have been incredibly heavy, but now he landed without a sound, with only those eyes, which remained constantly vigilant, flashing with a dangerous light under the dark red sky.

Wen Muyun and Qin Feng were positioned on the left and right, the four forming a diamond assault formation, infiltrating toward the core area of the "Blood Blade" gang with extremely high efficiency.

The deeper they went, the more chaotic and crazed the surrounding environment appeared.

The ground beneath their feet was already completely covered by solidified blood scabs, making a teeth-gritting "creak" sound when stepped upon.

The stench of rust, sulfur, and blood in the air was so thick it nearly became tangible; even after multiple layers of filtration by the power armor, it stubbornly seeped into the olfactory sensors, grating on the nerves.

Along the way, discarded wreckage was everywhere—armor plates from starships, ribs of colossal alien beasts, and even more, skulls belonging to humans or other intelligent races.

They were crudely nailed and wired to the abandoned metal walls, forming blasphemous, twisted totems, their hollow eye sockets staring numbly at this land shrouded in the shadow of the Blood God.

Before a giant fortress haphazardly piled from shipping containers, Long Yu suddenly raised his right hand, making a tactical gesture to halt.

Four steel figures instantly froze in the shadows, merging with the twisted metal ruins around them.

From the fortress's wide-open, battered gate came a cacophony of fervent, paranoid arguments, punctuated by the crackling roar of a bonfire.

“…So I say, why does the great Blood God always sit upon that Skull Throne? He is the Lord of Murder and War; He should personally descend to the battlefields of all races, cutting off the heads of those cowards, not sitting motionless like a useless coward, just like the False Emperor!”

A hoarse voice spoke loudly, filled with confusion and disrespect.

“Shut up! Idiot! What do you know?”

Another, sharper voice immediately scolded, “Are you questioning the great will of the Blood God?”

“I didn’t mean that… I just can’t figure it out.”

The earlier voice’s arrogance instantly deflated.

Then, a relatively steady voice that seemed to carry some authority spoke up, with a condescending, lecturing tone: “Hmph, I told you all to read the ‘Blood God’s Sutra’ that the boss handed out, but you insisted on sharpening those broken blades. Listen well, this is also the supreme truth the boss himself proclaimed.”

The arguing inside the fortress paused, as if everyone pricked up their ears.

“Why does the False Emperor sit upon the Golden Throne? Because he has long since decayed, like a parasite, using his filthy backside to suck the endless mighty power of the Warp, stealing the majestic energy that rightfully belongs to the gods! He doesn’t move because he is greedy, because he plunders!”

This blasphemous speech drew a chorus of enlightened agreement from the faithful inside the fortress.

“And why does our great Blood God, the Lord of War, the King of Honor, also sit upon a throne?”

The voice suddenly rose, filled with fanatical pride, “Because His supreme might, merely by sitting, forms a vast, unshakable vortex of divine power, suppressing the False Emperor’s evil cultivation! The Blood God sits to stop the False Emperor’s wicked practice, to guard the balance of the universe! This is a supreme sacrifice!”

“Oh! So that’s it!”

“The boss is so wise!”

“So we should also sit more, using our will to help the Blood God, to punish that False Emperor sitting on the toilet!”

A voice that sounded less intelligent shouted excitedly.

This twisted logic to the extreme was deeply accepted by these fanatics.

Through their tactical visors, Qin Feng and the others clearly saw the scene inside the fortress.

About fifteen Khorne worshippers were sitting around a bonfire burning with sickly green flames.

Most of them wore crudely patched-together power armor, the surfaces smeared with blood and painted with Khorne’s brass symbols.

The leader had the highest life force index, nearing six thousand points. He sat on a smaller “throne” made of various biological skulls, his face full of enjoyment and smugness.

Clearly, he was the “boss” these followers spoke of.

“The boss is right!”

One follower said with fawning flattery, “When I’ve cultivated the ‘Blood Blade’ killing technique to some small achievement, I’ll get myself a throne like this, sit on it every day to cultivate, and feel the Blood God’s greatness!”

“Bullshit!”

A companion beside him immediately spat, “This fortress can only have one throne—the boss’s! What are you trying to do? Rebel?”

“I didn’t mean that…”

Just as they were arguing over the ridiculous ownership of the “throne,” a calm, gentle voice sounded in the team communication channel of the four.

“You all saw it.”

It was Captain Long Yu.

“Different from what the intelligence described, this so-called ‘Blood Blade’ gang is nothing but a bunch of opportunists who haven’t even touched Khorne’s threshold.”

His voice was devoid of emotion, “Worshippers who have never received the true blessing of a chaos god often suffer various mental disorders because they cannot withstand the impact of chaotic whispers. They use their meager cognition to forcibly understand information far beyond their dimension, eventually forming sets of flawed, absurd so-called ‘doctrines.’”

“Like a fly suddenly realizing it used to love feces—its mental strength can’t handle it.”

“Clearly, these people have received no blessing. Their power and the stuff in their heads are most likely products forcibly modified and implanted by Shi Dang for easier control.”

Long Yu’s gaze swept over everyone inside the fortress, then made clear marks on the tactical map.

“Nissan and I will handle the ‘boss’ sitting on the chair. The remaining fourteen are yours.”

He looked toward Qin Feng and Wen Muyun, “Their life force indices are all around five thousand points, and they’ve all cultivated the same fourth-level blade technique from Shi Dang. Don’t be careless.”

“Qin Feng, Wen Muyun, you two coordinate to clear these grunts as fast as possible. Remember, strike quickly and decisively—don’t give them any chance to regroup or unleash some mutual-destruction secret art.”

“Yes.”

Wen Muyun’s voice was cold and crisp.

“Understood.”

Qin Feng replied in a low tone, his right hand already gripping the handle of the [Koi Turns Dragon] at his back.

“Move out!”

At Long Yu’s command, four figures, like tigers released from their cages, charged into this bloody fortress from four different directions!

“Who goes there?!”

“Attack!!”

After a brief shock, the worshippers around the bonfire erupted into fanatical roars.

They showed no fear; instead, they looked like they had seen long-awaited sacrifices, their eyes burning with bloodlust.

“Offer your heads to the Blood God!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Fourteen fanatics with life force indices exceeding five thousand points simultaneously drew the blood-colored war blades at their backs.

Wuum—

A vast, chaotic will to kill instantly enveloped the entire interior of the fortress.

In Qin Feng’s perception, the world before him shattered.

He was no longer inside the fortress made of abandoned containers but had fallen into a boundless sea of blood.

Beneath his feet was thick, stinking blood; above, the sky was a cloud of countless agonized, wailing souls.

From all directions, countless blood-colored blade lights, like a school of sharks catching the scent of blood, raised towering waves and surged madly toward him and Wen Muyun.

Each blade light contained a pure will of slaughter and destruction, enough to make any martial artist with weaker mental fortitude lose their focus, fall into madness, and ultimately be torn apart by both illusion and real blades.

This was the spiritual shock accompanying the fourth-level killing technique, the Blood Blade!

Unleashed simultaneously by fourteen fifth-level martial artists, its momentum was so immense that it could instantly strip ordinary opponents of the same rank of all resistance.

Yet, facing this overwhelming illusion of a blood sea, Qin Feng’s eyes showed not a flicker of disturbance.

He didn’t even entertain the thought of resistance; he simply issued a cold command in his mind.

“Activate.”

Wuum!

A faint resonance of energy sounded from the recess in his chest armor.

The Imperial Military Type III Mental Barrier Module, worth ten thousand contribution points, was instantly activated at that moment!

A faint, almost invisible azure energy barrier, like an intangible eggshell, enveloped Qin Feng's entire body in a split second.

When the surging sea of blood illusions and the soul-rending killing intent crashed against this azure barrier, it was like a red-hot branding iron plunged into ice water—with a sizzling hiss, all illusions and mental assaults were swept away, dissolved into nothingness.

In a ten-thousandth of a second, the world before his eyes regained clarity.

It was still the fortress lit by a blazing bonfire, still the fourteen fanatical believers wielding war blades, their faces twisted with savagery.

The fervor and cruelty on their faces had not yet faded; in their eyes, Qin Feng and Wen Muyun should have already fallen into the quagmire of illusions, at their mercy.

But they were wrong.

"Die."

An icy word escaped Qin Feng's lips.

He moved.

With no superfluous motions, facing the three believers charging from the front, the [Koi Ascending Dragon] spear in his hand chose neither to parry nor dodge, but instead thrust forward with a more domineering, more unreasonable force!

It was not a stab with the spear tip, but the entire shaft driving the ultimate killing technique that unified his lifelong will to kill!

[Golden Throne]!

Boom!!!

The air let out a muffled explosion.

An intangible, supreme authority and will, like an emperor descending to suppress rebellion, erupted with this spear strike.

The blood-red war blades in the hands of the three believers, upon contact with this will, had their killing aura instantly shattered and crushed.

Then, an overwhelming, irresistible force slammed solidly into their breastplates.

Crack!

The makeshift power armor on the three men, like rotten wood struck head-on by a battering ram, instantly caved in and shattered.

They didn't even have time to scream before their entire chest cavities, along with their internal organs, were utterly pulverized into a bloody mush by this tyrannical power.

Three soulless husks flew backward like torn sacks, crashing heavily into the container wall behind them, sliding down, and falling silent.

One strike, three kills in an instant!

This ferocious scene momentarily stunned the remaining believers into a pause.

And in that fleeting hesitation, another shadow of death had already descended.

Wen Muyun's figure moved like a ghost; her twin blades traced two tragic silver arcs through the air, precisely and ruthlessly slicing across the necks of two believers.

Though the neck armor of the power suits was sturdy, before her blades, infused with immense life force and refined killing techniques, it was as fragile as paper.

Pfft!

Two helmeted heads shot into the air, blood spurting from the severed necks, looking especially eerie in the bonfire's glow.

"Kill him! Kill him!"

After a brief shock, the remaining believers erupted into even more frenzied roars, encircling from all sides.

Qin Feng's eyes were cold; with a flick of his wrist, the spear transformed into a lightning bolt of soul-chasing speed, arriving later yet striking first, precisely aimed at an elite believer lunging from the right.

Spear technique killing move—[Wind-Thunder Shadow Chaser]!

This thrust was the epitome of speed, blending the elusiveness of wind with the ferocity of thunder.

The believer only saw a flash of lightning before his eyes, unable even to trace the spear's trajectory, before an irresistible, terrifying penetrating force struck his brow.

The spear tip easily pierced his helmet, and the violent energy exploded within his skull, turning his brain and spinal cord into a complete mess.

At the same time, Qin Feng released his left hand from the spear shaft, clenched his fingers into a fist, and delivered a reverse elbow strike, slamming heavily into the ribs of another believer lunging from behind.

The will of [Golden Throne] erupted again!

The side armor of that believer instantly twisted and deformed; his entire body, as if struck by a high-speed vehicle, flew sideways, half of it turned into pulp.

The slaughter proceeded efficiently and coldly.

Qin Feng and Wen Muyun's cooperation was seamless.

Qin Feng was bold and unrestrained; every swing of his spear brought a storm of blood and gore, the will of [Golden Throne] brutally dominating, crushing everything head-on;

killing moves like [Wind-Thunder Shadow Chaser] and [Flowing Light Shadow Chaser] were swift and lethal, specializing in picking off enemies attempting to flank and ambush.

He was like a tireless war machine, pushing the aesthetics of violence to the extreme.

Wen Muyun, on the other hand, was like an elegant death dancer; her movements were agile, always appearing where the enemy least expected. As her twin blades swept, they targeted only the most vulnerable points—necks, joints, eyes—each strike claiming a life.

In less than a minute.

When Qin Feng, with a sweeping strike, cleaved the last believer in half—man and blade—the entire fortress interior had no living soul standing except them.

Fourteen corpses lay haphazardly in pools of blood; the once-blazing bonfire, doused by splattered blood, flickered weakly.

On the other side, the battle had long ended.

Long Yu and Nissan hadn't even let much blood stain their power armor.

The "boss," whose life force index neared six thousand points and who had mastered the [Blood Blade] killing technique, now hung in midair in an extremely humiliating posture.

His limbs were broken, his power armor dismantled into pieces, and two faintly glowing long spikes made of some special metal pierced his collarbones, pinning him firmly to a load-bearing pillar.

The metal spikes clearly had the effect of suppressing energy, leaving him unable to muster even a shred of strength.

He was like a piece of cured meat hung to dry, capable of nothing but breathing.

Nissan clapped his hands, seemingly quite satisfied with his handiwork.

Long Yu walked slowly to the "boss," his gentle voice forming a stark contrast with the bloody scene.

"When was the last time Shi Dang appeared?"

The "boss's" eyes were filled with venom and fear, but under Long Yu's calm, placid gaze, his psychological defenses crumbled instantly. Trembling, he answered, "Ten... ten years ago..."

"Where did he go?"

"I... I don't know! The boss's whereabouts were never told to us underlings."

Long Yu's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He continued, "Can you contact him?"

"No... we always passively waited for his orders; we never had a channel to contact him proactively."

As the questioning ended, both Long Yu and Nissan wore expressions of helplessness.

They exchanged a glance, reading the same message in each other's eyes: all this effort was in vain.

This so-called "Blood God's Nest," this so-called "bait," had been a discarded pawn abandoned by Shi Dang from the very beginning.

"Ah..."

Nissan ran his hand irritably through his short blond hair. "I knew it. That bastard is slicker than an eel."

Long Yu withdrew his gaze, and with a backhanded slash, cleanly cut through the "boss's" neck.

Warm blood gushed out, then quickly stopped.

He looked at the rapidly cooling corpse, slowly shaking his head, as if explaining to the others, or muttering to himself.

Even among followers of evil gods, there are vast differences. These wretches haven't even received the most basic blessing from their deity. Their faith in Khorne is less about belief and more about projecting their own brutality and greed onto a fictional idol that can satisfy their desires. They are mere opportunists, hyenas chasing after power, with nothing worthy of being called 'loyalty.'

He glanced at the corpses slain by Qin Feng and Wen Muyun, then continued, "The modifications on these people are crude, clearly the work of Shi Dang. He probably stumbled upon this abandoned planet during his escape years ago and propped up these fools as a temporary foothold and lookout."

"Ten years without contact... I doubt he even remembers this place exists anymore."

Long Yu's tone carried a hint of melancholy and disappointment.

The plan had failed.

As bait, they had failed to lure the real target.

He shrugged, sheathed his long blade, and surveyed his three teammates.

"Shi Dang probably won't come. Request a return."

"Mm."

Nissan nodded and put away his door-plank broadsword.

Wen Muyun and Qin Feng also silently nodded in agreement.

Shi Dang was too cunning.

But it didn't matter. Qin Feng simply treated this as a normal mission, earning resources.

The vertigo of space jump receded like a tide, replaced by the unique, pure-energy-laced fresh air of Canaan Star Martial University.

The dazzling teleportation light dissipated, and four towering figures in black power armor reappeared at the center of the Fearless War Legion's exclusive teleport platform.

Beneath their feet was a mirror-smooth obsidian floor, reflecting the simulated, eternal, brilliant starry river above.

Surrounding them were alloy walls full of sci-fi aesthetics, engraved with the emblem of the Fearless War Legion and the roster of past powerhouses. The entire space was quiet and solemn, a world apart from the blood-soaked, chaotic K-13 planet they had just left.

"Shhh—"

Four synchronized airtight seal opening sounds rang out, and everyone removed their helmets almost simultaneously.

Nissan's iconic golden short hair was slightly disheveled. He shook his head vigorously, as if trying to expel the foul air of that abandoned planet from his memory, his face showing a hint of lingering regret and frustration at the incomplete mission.

Wen Muyun's expression was as cold as ever.

Long Yu's face was the calmest, his jade-like features revealing neither joy nor anger.

Qin Feng silently hung his helmet at his waist. The surface of his power armor still bore dark brown bloodstains and scorch marks from high heat.

At that moment, their personal terminals all chimed a crisp notification simultaneously.

A pale blue virtual screen automatically popped up before their eyes.

[Mission Settlement]

[Mission Name: Purification of the Blood God's Nest]

[Mission Rating: Hell Level]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Primary targets eliminated)]

[Settlement Assessment: Due to failure of secondary objective (bait plan), final mission evaluation: "Good."]

[Final Rewards: 80,000 Contribution Points, 240,000 Fearless War Legion Reputation, 5,000 Competition Points.]

[Reward distribution plan executed automatically per squad contribution agreement...]

Along with the system prompt, another message appeared, clearly listing each person's earnings.

[Leader: Long Yu. Contribution Points: 25,000. Legion Reputation: 240,000.]

[Member: Nissan. Contribution Points: 25,000. Legion Reputation: 240,000.]

[Member: Wen Muyun. Contribution Points: 15,000. Legion Reputation: 240,000.]

[Member: Qin Feng. Contribution Points: 15,000. Legion Reputation: 240,000.]

Seeing this distribution, Qin Feng's eyes showed no ripple, but his mind was clear.

His thoughts were still immersed in the battle not long ago.

"The reason this mission was so easy, even making 'Hell Level' feel undeserved, isn't because the enemies were weak, but because..."

His gaze swept imperceptibly over Long Yu and Nissan.

"...because Senior Long Yu and Senior Nissan's strength has completely exceeded the scope this mission difficulty could handle."

Qin Feng calmly reviewed in his mind.

That elite cultist wielding a battle axe and mastering a fourth-level killing technique was no pushover.

His vitality index, strength, and speed all firmly stood at the top tier of fifth-level martial artists.

If Qin Feng had faced him alone, even if he could kill him with the domineering force of [Jin Luan], it would have taken considerable effort—nothing like Long Yu and Nissan, who, with one blocking and one charging, effortlessly killed him in three seconds.

"Their mental strength has long reached the standard for advancing to sixth-level Skywalking martial artists, even surpassing it. So the mental shock from [Blood Blade] was like a gentle breeze to them, posing no threat."

"At the same time, their vitality index of 7,200 points."

Qin Feng understood clearly that this seemingly easy "Hell Level" mission was actually because Long Yu and Nissan, two top powerhouses, had used their absolute strength to smooth over all the most dangerous and tricky parts in advance.

What he and Wen Muyun did was more like a high-intensity cleanup of minor enemies under the protection of their seniors.

(End of chapter)