Chapter 194: Level 4 Killing Method Consummation! Terrible Speed of Progress, Again

Chapter 194: Fourth-Level Kill Method Perfected! Terrifying Speed of Progress, Re-engaging Qin Yonglin!

Qin Feng held the [Raging Tide], his gaze as calm as still water.

“Then, let us begin.”

Zong Yun’s voice rang out.

Before his words faded, Qin Feng’s figure had already stepped into the circular gate at the deepest part of the room, marked “Planetary Surface Deployment Channel.”

Amid the cold sound of machinery closing, Qin Feng’s vision was engulfed in darkness, followed by an intense sensation of weightlessness.

The drop pod he was in, like a shell leaving a cannon, was hurled by the electromagnetic rails with terrifying acceleration toward the huge, yellowish-brown planet below.

Boom!

The drop pod slammed heavily onto the rust-red gravel, and the hatch popped open under pressure.

A scorching air, mixed with the smell of metal rust, sulfur, and the stench of unknown rotting creatures, rushed in, choking his throat dry.

Qin Feng stepped out; the sand beneath his feet was as hard as iron. Looking around, the entire world was shrouded in a dim yellow glow.

Huge, malformed cactus-like plants grew stubbornly among jagged rocks, and towering green-skinned fortresses, built haphazardly from scrap metal, giant bones, and hardened mud, exuded a savage and chaotic beauty.

“Waaagh!”

A roar full of war frenzy came from not far away.

A greenskin lad, over two and a half meters tall with bulging muscles, charged at him.

Its skin was a filthy green; it wore a crude power armor pieced together from various metal scraps, with black smoke spouting from the joints, and wielded a massive cleaver, seemingly forged from a ship’s armor plate.

It moved extremely fast, each step leaving a shallow pit in the hard ground.

Qin Feng did not dodge or evade; he held the [Raging Tide] horizontally.

He wore no power armor, only a light combat suit.

But beneath that suit was a terrifying physique comparable to an “embryonic star beast”!

Clang!

The cleaver and the blue-black spear shaft collided violently, producing a deafening clang of metal.

Qin Feng felt a tremendous force from the spear, sliding half a meter backward, carving two deep furrows in the ground.

The greenskin lad, also staggered back from the recoil, its eyes showing confusion and even more frenzied brutality.

A human without a “tin can” could actually withstand its blow!

Qin Feng’s eyes narrowed slightly. The greenskin’s junk power armor greatly compensated for the gap in physical strength, even giving it a slight edge in pure impact.

This was exactly what he wanted!

The next instant, Qin Feng moved.

He did not choose to wrestle with the greenskin; instead, he sidestepped, and the spear tip shot out like a venomous snake, at an extremely tricky angle, precisely stabbing into the neck gap of the greenskin’s power armor.

It was the move from the [Heavy Spear] kill method—[Heavy Thrust]!

Pfft!

The spear tip entered without resistance, piercing out from the back of the greenskin’s neck.

The greenskin’s roar cut short, and its massive body crashed to the ground.

[Proficiency: 113/1000]

Qin Feng pulled out the spear, flicked off the blood from the tip, and looked toward the distance where more greenskins, attracted by the sound of battle, were coming.

His trial had officially begun.

……

In a desolate canyon, three greenskin lads surrounded Qin Feng in a triangle formation.

Qin Feng’s figure moved and dodged in the narrow space; the [Raging Tide] spear in his hand sometimes swept like a gale scattering leaves, wide and forceful, and sometimes struck like a snake spitting its tongue, precise and deadly.

Each block, each thrust, deepened his understanding of the [Heavy Spear].

The battle ended, with three greenskin corpses lying at his feet.

[Proficiency: 417/1000]

……

At the ruins of a destroyed Imperial outpost.

Qin Feng, along with two other completely unfamiliar martial artists also on trial, stood back to back, fending off a tide of greenskins.

There was no verbal communication among the three, but their coordination was flawless.

One held a tower shield for defense, one wielded a two-handed bolter for suppressive fire, and Qin Feng was the deadliest blade.

He seized every fleeting opportunity created by his teammates, the [Raging Tide] spear piercing through greenskin heads and hearts time and again.

When the last greenskin fell, the three nodded to each other, then turned and disappeared in different directions.

On this planet, everyone was a passerby; the only common language was battle.

[Proficiency: 622/1000]

……

Late at night, Qin Feng, covered in blood, was locked in a fierce battle with an elite greenskin over four meters tall, piloting a “Can-Killer” war machine.

This war machine was built with thick armor and huge hydraulic arms, its firepower and strength far surpassing ordinary greenskin lads.

Qin Feng was sent flying by a giant mechanical claw, rolling over a dozen meters on the ground, but he immediately flipped up, ignoring the blood at the corner of his mouth, and charged again.

Like the most tenacious hunter, he kept moving, using precise attacks to drain the war machine’s energy and structural integrity.

Finally, he seized an opportunity, thrusting the entire shaft of the [Raging Tide] into the gap of the “Can-Killer’s” cockpit, and twisted with all his might!

Accompanied by a screeching sound of twisting metal and a dull explosion, the war machine crashed to its knees and shut down completely.

[Proficiency: 889/1000]

……

In a vast fungal swamp.

Qin Feng inadvertently stumbled into the path of a greenskin war convoy.

Over twenty war trucks, modified from various scraps and spewing smoke and flames, roared past.

In the center of the convoy, a greenskin war boss with a life force index exceeding fifteen thousand points sat on a throne built from skulls, looking at this insignificant intruder with a mocking gaze.

With just one look, Qin Feng felt a terrifying pressure like a mountain bearing down on him.

“Flee!”

Zong Yun’s teaching exploded in his mind instantly.

Qin Feng did not hesitate; he turned and ran. He infused psychic energy into his legs and dashed toward complex terrain at top speed.

Behind him came the greenskins’ earth-shaking laughter and the gunfire of pursuit.

……

Whenever battle left him utterly exhausted, Qin Feng would seek out a hidden cave or ruin to conceal himself.

He would unsparingly take out a top-tier psionic potion from the war band’s resource vault and tilt his head back to down it.

Warm and vast energy swiftly coursed through his limbs and bones, repairing damaged muscle fibers and replenishing the dried-up sea of psionic power.

After recovering, he would not immediately throw himself into the next fight; instead, he would sit cross-legged, channel his mental force to shake his primal aperture, continue to cleanse his flesh, and then restore himself with the Tenfold Hand.

Having endured the ultimate life-and-death struggle, his body and mind were in a state of extreme, ravenous activity.

Cultivating at such a moment was far more efficient than bitter training in a quiet chamber!

The “Supreme Primal Aperture” frantically absorbed the potion’s energy, converting it into the purest life force.

His life force index grew at a rate visible to the naked eye.

[Life Force Index: 9350.0]

…

Combat, then recovery, then cultivation.

This seemingly simple cycle held the secret to the most efficient growth.

Qin Feng’s killing method realm and life force index soared in tandem at an unprecedented speed.

Battle was indeed the best catalyst for a martial artist!

G12 War Zone, the rocky Gobi.

Qin Feng was fleeing.

On his left arm was a wound deep enough to show bone, caused by a chain-axe from an elite greenskin.

At this moment, behind him, a pursuit squad of three “Can Killers” and over a dozen greenskin lads was hot on his heels.

He had been chased for an entire day.

His psionic energy was nearly depleted, and the fatigue of his body surged like a tide.

The core of the “Heavy Spear” killing method lay in the word “heavy”—grand openings and closings, charging forward without hesitation.

Its accompanying footwork, named “Attack Step,” was filled with a will to press step by step, constantly applying pressure to the enemy.

This footwork was unstoppable in offense, but in retreat, it felt somewhat sluggish.

Qin Feng awkwardly dodged bullets fired from behind while frantically thinking.

“No… no! The core of ‘Attack Step’ is not ‘advancing,’ but ‘exerting force’! It’s about mobilizing the whole body’s sinews, bones, psionic energy, and even mental will to unleash the strongest power within a single step!”

“Since it’s about exerting force, why can it only go forward?!”

A thought, like lightning, split the fog in his mind!

In the instant he was forced by machine-gun fire to leap awkwardly to the side and rear, a startling light burst from Qin Feng’s eyes.

Now!

His left foot, originally used to unload force backward, did not roll with the momentum upon landing but instead stomped downward violently, defying common sense!

He integrated the force-exertion technique of “Attack Step” into this backward step!

Boom!

With his left foot as the center, the hard rock ground instantly cracked, and spiderweb-like fissures spread several meters away!

A torrent of power flowed from his ankle, through his calf and spine, instantly transmitting to his core.

His entire body, like a bow drawn to its extreme, suddenly released at that moment!

Qin Feng’s form did not retreat; instead, defying the laws of physics, he twisted his body and lunged forward!

The [Raging Tide] in his hand, with this earth-shattering step, turned into a black lightning bolt that tore through the air!

That killing move originally planned for offense—[Heavy Thrust]—and this retreating, desperate counterattack “Attack Step” perfectly merged at this moment!

[Killing Method: Heavy Spear (Level 4)]

[Realm: Mastery]

[Proficiency: 1/10000]

Pfft!

The leading “Can Killer” didn’t even have time to react; its thick cockpit armor was pierced by this [Heavy Thrust], imbued with a new will, like a hot knife through butter!

Qin Feng’s figure passed through the wreckage of the “Can Killer,” momentum undiminished, and then pierced the chests of two greenskin lads behind it!

The entire pursuit squad froze for a moment.

Qin Feng landed, slowly turned, feeling the seamless, surging power within him, and a smile finally crept onto his lips.

Heavy Spear, Mastery!

Confidence swelled to its peak at that moment!

He ignored the remaining greenskins and fixed his gaze on the center of the G12 War Zone—the lair of the War Boss, whose life force index was as high as eighteen thousand points.

A mad thought surged into his mind.

“Now, perhaps I can…”

Half an hour later, Qin Feng fought his way to the foot of a hill piled high with countless war ruins.

“Roar!!”

With an angry bellow, the War Boss, over six meters tall, leaped down from its throne.

Its heavy scrap armor was adorned with enemy skulls symbolizing honor; it carried no weapon, but its hammer-like fists were the most fearsome weapons themselves.

“Come on!”

Qin Feng’s battle intent blazed, pushing the newly understood “Attack Step” and [Heavy Thrust] to their limits, merging man and spear into a streak of light, stabbing straight at the War Boss’s heart!

Facing this earth-shattering strike, a flicker of disdain passed through the War Boss’s eyes.

It didn’t even bother to punch; casually, as if shooing a fly, it thrust its thick, armor-plated elbow forward.

Bang!!!

Qin Feng felt as if his [Raging Tide] spear had struck a divine mountain hurtling at light speed.

An indescribable, irresistible terror of power surged along the spear shaft.

He and his spear were sent flying hundreds of meters by that elbow, tracing a miserable parabola through the air, and crashing heavily into a distant cliff face.

“Pfft!”

A mouthful of blood sprayed out; Qin Feng felt like every bone in his body was about to shatter.

He struggled to crawl out of the rubble, only to see the War Boss striding toward him unhurriedly, each step making the earth tremble.

Absolute disparity in power!

Qin Feng’s mind instantly cleared; the confidence that had just swelled was shattered by that elbow.

The life force index gap was too huge! He wasn’t wearing power armor, and this War Boss was equipped with it—he couldn’t win for now!

Without a second word, he turned and ran, pushing the newly mastered “Attack Step” footwork to its life-saving extreme, vanishing into the complex Gobi terrain in the blink of an eye.

……

The crushing defeat did not dampen Qin Feng's will; instead, it sharpened his awareness of his own shortcomings.

In the days that followed, he grew even more relentless.

He fought alongside ever more unfamiliar comrades, conquering one greenskin position after another.

His "Advancing Step" and 【Heavy Thrust】 merged with increasing fluency and subtlety.

No longer confined to the forms themselves, he began to perfectly integrate the convergence modules of his mental energy and psionic power into every exertion of his footwork and spear techniques.

His steps, at times, were as heavy as a mountain, rooted deep in the earth;

at other times, as light as a feather, leaving no trace on snow.

His spear, when needed, could unleash the utmost penetrating force;

when needed, could transform into the most agile silken thread, entangling his opponent.

Every breath he took, every beat of his heart, seemed to resonate in perfect harmony with the rhythm of the *Heavy Spear*.

This sensation of utterly fusing spirit, energy, technique, and footwork had gradually become his muscle memory, his battle instinct.

【Vitality Index: 12100.0】

【Vitality Index: 15400.0】

【Vitality Index: 17800.0】

【Proficiency: 1250/10000】

【Proficiency: 5180/10000】

【Proficiency: 7950/10000】

The final month of the trial.

Before the lair of the Warboss in the G12 War Zone.

Qin Feng, alone, holding the 【Raging Tide】, walked slowly forward.

His aura had undergone a earth-shattering transformation compared to when he first arrived.

If eleven months ago he had been a blade of dazzling sharpness, now he was a divine weapon sheathed in its scabbard—all its edge turned inward, yet far more dangerous, far more unfathomable.

On his personal interface, two key numbers had reached an entirely new height.

【Vitality Index: 18000.0】

【Proficiency: 9919/10000】

He now stood at the very threshold of the same realm as the Warboss before him!

"ROAR!"

The Warboss clearly remembered the little one it had sent flying with an elbow months ago. It sensed the threat of equal rank emanating from the other, and this stoked its rage at being challenged.

It bellowed, seized a massive metal totem pole beside it, and swung it down at Qin Feng as if it were a straw.

This time, Qin Feng did not meet the blow head-on as before.

His feet moved—the "Advancing Step" activated—and his form flickered like a phantom, dodging the mountain-splitting strike by a hair's breadth.

In an instant, battle erupted!

This was a true, grueling contest between equals.

The Warboss, relying on its thick power armor and surging strength, delivered each blow with immense force, wide and sweeping.

Qin Feng, in turn, pushed the techniques of the *Heavy Spear* to their utmost limits.

The fierce battle raged for hundreds of exchanges.

The entire hill was leveled by the shockwaves of their combat.

A dozen new wounds adorned Qin Feng's body, but the fighting spirit in his eyes blazed ever brighter, ever fiercer.

He could feel it—the final, paper-thin barrier to the ultimate secret of the *Heavy Spear* was beckoning him.

Another perilous clash.

The Warboss seized a flaw in Qin Feng's stance, its massive power fist driving straight at his face.

Now!

Instead of retreating, Qin Feng advanced. At the very instant the fist's wind touched him, he poured all his spirit, will, and psionic power—every insight from these eleven months—into the 【Raging Tide】 in his hands.

The world before his eyes seemed to slow.

He saw every armor plate's grain on the Warboss's fist, every subtle tremor of its muscles, the flaw in the WAAAGH! field's operation within its attack.

【Proficiency: 10000/10000】

【Realm: Perfection】

Qin Feng thrust his spear. 【Heavy Thrust】.

This thrust was both heavy and swift—from the power generated in his steps, flowing through the great dragon of his spine, to the spearpoint's strike—every motion seamlessly combined with the perfectly honed mental-psionic convergence.

*Pfft.*

The spearpoint effortlessly pierced the Warboss's indestructible power gauntlet, penetrated its steel-like skin and bones, and drove with unerring precision into its heart.

The Warboss's movements froze.

Its colossal frame swayed, then crashed to the ground.

Qin Feng stood beside its corpse, his eyes blazing with an astonishing light.

The trial was over.

A figure appeared silently behind him—it was Zong Yun.

He looked at the scene, at Qin Feng, and a genuine, approving smile spread across his face.

"Well done, junior. A year to perfection—truly terrifying. Come, it's time to return."

……

When Qin Feng and Zong Yun returned to the G-735 martial arts chamber, everything was exactly as they had left it.

But Qin Feng knew he was utterly changed.

He quickly gathered his belongings, returning all remaining potions to the subspace storage unit.

The two of them stepped onto the A8 subspace teleportation platform once more.

A silver light flared.

When Qin Feng opened his eyes again, what greeted him was the familiar, magnificent sight of the Canaan Star Martial Arts University teleportation platform.

The silver spatial energy slowly dissipated, and the grand, familiar platform scene once more filled his vision.

Qin Feng took a deep breath.

The air no longer carried the scorching, blood-and-rust stench of "Grinder-III"; instead, it was the uniquely clean, precisely filtered atmosphere of Canaan Star Martial Arts University, with its faint, cool metallic tang.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

“Hoo...”

Zong Yun, standing beside him, let out a long, slow breath. He turned his head, and the look he gave Qin Feng was a tangle of complex emotions—astonishment, admiration, even a flicker of disbelief.

“Eleven months.”

Zong Yun’s voice came out a little hoarse. “From a vitality index of 7,500 points, all the way up to 18,000 points—the ‘First Great Limit.’ You took a fourth-level killing technique from ‘Minor Mastery’ and ground it all the way to ‘Perfection.’”

He looked Qin Feng up and down, and finally shook his head. “Junior Qin Feng, I’ve carried out over a hundred protection missions and mentored all kinds of prodigies, but I’ve never seen… a freak as monstrous as you.”

“No wonder you’re the kind of monster that can make a physical examination pod explode outright. Add in the legendary ‘Supreme Aperture’… your vitality index rises as easily as drinking water.”

There was a deep note of emotion in Zong Yun’s tone. He sighed, half-joking and half-serious: “Those of us who chose ‘Superior Apertures’ back then—compared to your ‘Supreme Aperture’—our vitality growth is as slow as a snail crawling. If I’d known the gap would be this ridiculous, I’d have staked everything back then to try forging a Supreme Aperture. Now… I really regret it.”

Though his words were teasing, the envy in them was unmistakable.

“You flatter me, senior. I was just lucky.”

Qin Feng smiled and replied calmly.

“Ah, you’re still so modest.”

Zong Yun waved a hand, clearly unconvinced by the “just lucky” excuse. His expression shifted from emotion to seriousness.

“Alright, enough small talk.”

Zong Yun grinned. “The mission is over, but as your senior, I still have a few things to say.”

He paused, organized his thoughts, and his face grew grave.

“About the path after a fourth-level killing technique reaches ‘Perfection.’”

“Have you ever wondered why killing techniques above the fourth level undergo a qualitative leap in power? The core lies in the application of the ‘Spirit-Psionic Convergence Module.’”

“This module is essentially a fixed energy construction formula. Using your spirit as a guide, it instantly converges and unleashes the psionic energy inside your body in the most efficient and destructive way possible.”

Zong Yun looked at Qin Feng and asked, “But have you noticed that the operation of this module follows a certain ‘sequence’?”

“Yes,” Qin Feng nodded, lost in thought.

Of course he had noticed.

The killing move [Heavy Thrust] of the *Heavy Spear* technique was built around an incredibly complex energy circulation process. It had to be guided step by step, strictly in order, before it could unleash earth-shattering power.

“Exactly—sequence.”

Zong Yun confirmed. “The module of a fourth-level killing technique is constructed according to the sequence of your body’s force generation. Starting from the footwork, transmitting through the waist and abdomen, then through the arms, and finally released by the weapon. It’s a linear, single-threaded process.”

“And what is the true mark of ‘Perfection’?”

Zong Yun’s gaze suddenly sharpened. “It’s not how smoothly you can execute the killing move, but that you have completely digested this ‘formula’ to the point where you can draw inferences and apply it to every move you make—even to the lower-level killing techniques you’ve already mastered!”

In Qin Feng’s mind, the final scene of him slaying that green-skinned boss with 18,000 vitality points flashed instantly.

That [Heavy Thrust] had seemed simple, but it actually contained his entire understanding of the *Heavy Spear*.

He hadn’t fully followed the fixed sequence of force generation throughout his body. Instead, he had directly grafted the core part of the “Spirit-Psionic Convergence Module” onto the explosive force of the “Advancing Step” in that instant, combined with the penetrating will of [Heavy Thrust], causing the destructive power of that strike to skyrocket geometrically!

So that wasn’t just improvisation—it was the inevitable path to “Perfection.”

“Even within ‘Perfection,’ there is a world of difference.”

Zong Yun’s voice continued, striking Qin Feng’s heart like a great bell.

“After you truly reach ‘Perfection,’ the next step in cultivation is to completely break down this fourth-level ‘Spirit-Psionic Convergence Module,’ understand it, and then apply it by analogy to all the lower three-level killing techniques you have already cultivated to the ‘Mastery Realm.’”

“That’s why the school requires us to master as many different types of killing techniques as possible at lower levels, and to push at least a few of them to the ‘Mastery Realm.’ Because the more solid your foundation, the more terrifying the power you can unleash after reaching ‘Perfection’!”

A gleam of wisdom shone in Zong Yun’s eyes. “Think about it—when your second-level spear technique [Wind-Thunder Shadow Chase] can be augmented with the energy convergence module of a fourth-level killing technique, is the thrust it delivers still a second-level killing move? No! It can unleash destructive power comparable to a true fourth-level killing technique! That is the true horror of the ‘Perfection’ realm!”

“I see.”

Qin Feng suddenly understood, and the path ahead became clear.

A brand-new, broad road to an even stronger realm spread out vividly before him.

All his previous accumulations—the dozen or so first-, second-, and third-level killing techniques he had ground to the “Mastery Realm” at Qiyi High, in the Freshman Cup, and in countless missions—would now become fuel for his leap in strength!

Once he grasped this, his mind immediately jumped to the next stage.

“Senior,”

Qin Feng pressed on, “what about the ‘Mastery Realm’ above ‘Perfection’?”

“Uh—”

This question seemed to choke Zong Yun’s throat.

The composed expression of a “senior expert” on his face instantly froze, revealing an obvious awkwardness.

“Well… ahem, I’m not too clear on that either.”

Zong Yun scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. “I myself only reached ‘Perfection’ not long ago. I’m still a million miles away from the ‘Mastery Realm.’ I haven’t experienced it personally, so I dare not talk nonsense—I might mislead you.”

He quickly added, as if to save face: “But I can tell you this: in every ‘Starlight Cup,’ those who finally win their respective regional championships are, without exception, all monsters who have cultivated a fourth-level killing technique to the ‘Mastery Realm.’”

“All I know is that breaking through from ‘Perfection’ to ‘Mastery Realm’ for a killing technique above the fourth level is hundreds of times harder than breaking through to the Mastery Realm for a lower third-level technique. The specific secrets are probably known only to those true prodigies and mentors.”

Seeing Qin Feng lost in thought, Zong Yun, to make up for his earlier awkwardness, immediately switched topics.

“But though I don’t understand the ‘Mastery Realm,’ I can tell you in advance the essential differences between fifth-level, sixth-level, and fourth-level killing techniques. I’ve studied that.”

“I’m all ears!”

Qin Feng’s eyes lit up instantly.

He had heard about higher-level killing techniques before from Senior Liang You and Senior Chu Qi, but back then his realm was too low, and he had been confused. Now that he stood at the peak of fourth-level killing technique perfection, listening again would surely feel different.

“Mm.”

Zong Yun cleared his throat and resumed his inscrutable air. “Remember the ‘sequence’ issue we talked about? A fourth-level killing technique is single-threaded—it can only execute one ‘Spirit-Psionic Convergence’ process at a time.”

“A fifth-level killing technique, on the other hand, requires ‘one mind with ten uses’!”

“That means you need to simultaneously construct and operate more than ten ‘Spirit-Psionic Convergence Modules’ inside your body at the exact same instant! This demands extremely freakish levels of spirit strength, resilience, and control precision. Generally speaking, only those who have trained their spirit strength to over 30 points and undergone massive, extremely tedious hard practice can even begin to grasp it.”

“As for sixth-level killing techniques…”

A look of longing and awe appeared on Zong Yun’s face. “That’s ‘one mind with a hundred uses’! You need to construct over a hundred convergence modules simultaneously in an instant! The minimum requirement for spirit strength is 100 points. And the difficulty isn’t just ten times that of a fifth-level technique—it increases geometrically, entering a whole new concept.”

“One mind with ten uses… one mind with a hundred uses…”

Qin Feng silently repeated these words, the light in his eyes growing brighter.

This time, he understood completely.

From single-threaded to multi-threaded, and then to ultra-large-scale parallel computation—that was the essence of higher-level killing techniques!

A perfectly clear path of advancement, from fourth-level ‘Perfection’ to fifth-level, then to sixth-level, was fully laid out in his mind.

“Alright, junior, I’ve said all the useful stuff. I won’t keep you from going back to digest it.”

Zong Yun patted Qin Feng on the shoulder, smiling. "I need to hurry to the mission center to report in and claim my guardian reward. Oh, right, one last reminder for you."

"The latest 'Starlight Cup' martial arts tournament is about to open for registration. If you want to participate, you should contact your mentor as soon as possible—don't miss the deadline."

"Alright, thank you, senior."

Qin Feng expressed his gratitude earnestly.

"Haha, it's nothing. Looking forward to seeing your performance in the Starlight Cup! Farewell!"

With a carefree laugh, Zong Yun waved at Qin Feng, then turned and strode away, his figure quickly swallowed by the crowd on the teleportation platform.

Qin Feng watched him leave, then immediately tapped the personal terminal on his wrist.

He found a familiar name in his contact list—Yu Han.

A brief, clear message was sent instantly through the subspace network.

[Student Qin Feng applies to register for the latest 'Starlight Cup' martial arts tournament.]

A soft chime signaled the successful transmission of the message.

Qin Feng stood quietly on the bustling teleportation platform, the surrounding noise seeming irrelevant. His mind was entirely absorbed in planning and anticipation for the future.

The Starlight Cup.

This grand event, first mentioned by his mentor Gu Yue and elevated to a height that could shape his future martial path—now, he had finally secured his ticket in.

Buzz.

Almost as his thoughts turned, the personal terminal vibrated again.

The reply came astonishingly fast, as if the other party had been waiting for his message.

Qin Feng opened the holographic screen, and the familiar, minimalist chat window popped up.

[Yu Han]: Received. You have been registered for the Sixth-Level Warrior Division.

[Yu Han]: Departure time is one month from now by Imperial Standard Time. Please assemble on time at Canaan Main Teleportation Platform, Zone A129.

[Qin Feng]: Thank you, mentor.

The message was sent, and almost without delay, a new reply appeared.

[Yu Han]: 1.

Then Yu Han's profile picture dimmed, indicating he had moved on to other matters.

"..."

Qin Feng stared at the number "1," which stood for "received," "okay," "understood," and all affirmative meanings, and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

His mentor was always so concise, so efficient to the extreme.

He closed the chat window with his mentor and noticed several other contacts in his communication list blinking with unread message notifications.

He casually tapped one open—it was a group message from Long Yu, Nissan, and Ning Jing.

[Long Yu]: Junior Brother Qin Feng, congratulations on emerging from seclusion. We all watched your battle with Senior Qin Yonglin; it left a deep impression. Over this past year, the three of us have also made our own progress. With the Starlight Cup about to begin, how about we meet up? The usual place awaits you.

Below were messages from Nissan and Ning Jing.

[Nissan]: You beast, Qin! Get over here! I feel like I could take on ten guys right now!

[Ning Jing]: Come quickly.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Qin Feng's mouth, and a warmth flowed through his heart.

Just as he was about to reply, he noticed another group message.

He opened it—a message from three close friends.

[Shi Potian]: Qin Feng, I heard you've come out of seclusion. Congratulations. Xiong Yanfu, Tie Mu, and I have discussed it—we three won't be signing up for the Starlight Cup this time. What happened with Shi Dang made us deeply aware of our own foundational weaknesses. We plan to continue our seclusion and focus all our energy on improving our life force index. As for you, we wish you a victorious start and a great ranking!

Between the lines, sincere blessings shone through.

Qin Feng was silent for a moment.

He fully understood Shi Potian and the others' choice.

The betrayal and fall of their close friend had left an indelible scar on them, and it had also made their desire for strength purer and more urgent.

For them at this stage, steadily building up their life force's raw power was indeed a better choice than competing.

Qin Feng thought for a moment, then his fingers flew across the virtual keyboard as he replied to each one.

To Shi Potian, he wrote: "Understood. Take care of yourselves, too."

To Long Yu and the others, his reply was simpler: "Got it. On my way."

After replying to all messages, Qin Feng wasted no time. He oriented himself and quickly strode toward the exclusive zone of the Fearless Battle Group—the Fearless District.

...

The Fearless District was located at the heart of Canaan Star Martial University, its architecture even more rugged and austere than the public areas.

Qin Feng navigated several streets with practiced ease until he stood before a tavern called "Iron Fist."

This was one of the favorite gathering spots for members of the Fearless Battle Group.

He pushed open the door, and the tavern was as lively as ever.

Countless battle group members, exuding powerful auras, sat in clusters, loudly discussing missions, techniques, and the upcoming Starlight Cup. The clinking of metal tankards was incessant.

Qin Feng swept his gaze across the room and soon spotted three familiar figures in a corner booth.

Nissan, with his lion-like golden hair, was hoisting a massive tankard, spittle flying as he boasted to Long Yu, drawing sidelong glances from nearby tables.

Long Yu, with a gentle, jade-like demeanor, listened with a faint smile, nodding occasionally and using his eyes to rein in Nissan's overly dramatic gestures.

Beside him sat Ning Jing, his face cold as a millennia-old glacier.

He was meticulously wiping his ever-present long whip with a clean white cloth, indifferent to everything around him, as if his world consisted only of himself and his whip.

The auras of the three were more condensed and profound than a year ago.

Clearly, their year of intense training had brought them considerable progress.

Qin Feng walked over.

The moment he approached, Ning Jing, who had been wiping his whip, suddenly paused.

His sharp, eagle-like eyes locked onto Qin Feng.

"Zheng!"

He rose abruptly, a fierce battle intent surging upward, straight at Qin Feng!

"Qin Feng!"

Ning Jing's voice was, as always, short, direct, and filled with an undeniable pressure. "Come on, spar with me! I've improved immensely this year!"

As soon as he spoke, not only their table but also the surrounding battle group members drinking nearby turned their gazes toward them, eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation.

"Hahaha—"

Nissan's signature, hearty laugh rang out. He slung an arm around Ning Jing's shoulder and winked at Qin Feng. "You beast, Qin, you're finally here! You have no idea—this guy just recently mastered his fourth-level killing technique to the 'Minor Completion' stage, and now he's insufferably cocky! Quick! Go teach him a lesson and show him why the flowers are so red!"

Long Yu, who had been silently smiling, also stood up. He looked at Qin Feng warmly, a hint of amusement in his eyes, confirming Nissan's words.

"Nissan was right. Ning Jing had indeed just broken through, and his confidence was at its peak. Junior Brother Qin Feng, it seems today's drinking won't be settled without a fight."

"Good! I'm feeling hot!"

Qin Feng smiled and was about to nod in agreement.

Just then, a man stood up from the crowd, laughing heartily: "Hold on! Brother Ning Jing, let me have a go with Brother Qin Feng first, how about it?!"

This man was none other than Qin Yonglin, who had previously faced Qin Feng and shattered his [Qian Yuan] with the Tianyuan Staff!

(End of chapter)