Chapter 219: Ranking Soars! Top One Hundred on the Combat Power List! King-Class Inheritance

Chapter 219: Ranking Soaring! Top 100 on the Combat Power Ranking! The Shock of Achieving the Great King-Sealing Inheritance!

The battle continued.

Qin Feng, alone, wielding [Star-Swallower], his body surrounded by a surging spiritual energy like a mighty river, was completely overwhelming Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten, both top-tier powerhouses who had also comprehended the King-Sealing inheritance!

“His improvement over these years is too great! What kind of opportunity did he encounter?”

Wolf Seven’s roar echoed through the mental communication, filled with shock and disbelief.

His coordination with Wolf Ten had been honed to perfection through countless life-and-death battles—one attacking head-on, the other striking from the flank, offense and defense combined, enough to sweep any opponent of the same rank.

Yet now, all their attacks—whether Wolf Seven’s space-tearing claws or the energy-storm-wreathed war blade in his hand—when colliding with Qin Feng’s seemingly ordinary long spear, vanished like mud into the sea, effortlessly dissolved and crushed by a brute force that defied all reason.

Every thrust of Qin Feng’s spear seemed to channel the power of an entire galaxy—heavy, vast, unstoppable.

“His physical body is incredibly strong, and his mental power far surpasses ours. His killing technique is nearing great completion!”

Wolf Seven could clearly sense that the moment his attack touched Qin Feng, the energy and will within it were frantically absorbed and dismantled by a terrifying devouring force.

That was the will of the *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Technique*, now seamlessly integrated by Qin Feng into his spearplay.

“Retreat!”

After another fierce clash, Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten were shaken, their blood and energy churning, sparks of electricity bursting from the joints of their power armor.

They exchanged a glance and instantly understood each other’s thoughts.

They couldn’t win!

If they kept fighting, both of them would truly fall here today!

Without any hesitation, they acted in perfect sync, simultaneously erupting into two streaks of light, fleeing in different directions deep into the star sea.

They used the simplest method to force Qin Feng to make a choice.

Yet, watching the two panicked streaks of light, Qin Feng’s face showed no ripple.

In his deep eyes reflected the scene from years ago, when he was hunted by Wolf Seven and Tiemuer for two years, with no way to escape, no door to enter.

Back then, he was the prey.

Today, he is the hunter.

Fortune’s wheel turns, but this retribution came faster and fiercer than Wolf Seven had ever imagined.

“Trying to leave?”

A cold smile curled at the corner of Qin Feng’s mouth. His figure left a faint afterimage in place, and he vanished like a teleport.

A mad chase across the star sea began.

But this time, the roles of hunter and prey had been reversed.

This pinnacle duel in the 117th star system, through the omnipresent spectator perspectives, was clearly presented before the eyes of countless star regions under the rule of the Empire’s million legions.

The public channel had already exploded with discussions about this chase.

“He caught up! Qin Feng caught up! My god, how is he so fast!”

“Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten chose to flee separately; Qin Feng chose to pursue Wolf Ten! Wolf Seven is safe for now!”

“Safe? You underestimate the gap between ‘River Realm’ and ‘Lake Realm.’ It’s not a difference in quantity, but a qualitative leap! To them, Qin Feng now is like a prehistoric beast breaking into a rabbit’s nest—he can toy with them however he pleases.”

Amid countless comments and discussions, people speculated about the final outcome of this chase.

“I wonder how long Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten can escape from Qin Feng.”

A viewer with the ID “Old Soldier Never Dies” sighed, seeming to have experienced many Genius Wars and witnessed similar chases countless times.

“Hard to say. The gap is too big.”

Someone immediately replied, “Qin Feng’s foundation is terrifying. River Realm mental power, plus his monster-like physical body—speed, strength, endurance… he dominates in every aspect. Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten can’t burn their secret techniques for long.”

“I remember a similar case a few days ago. A peak ‘Lake Realm’ genius, under the pursuit of a ‘River Realm’ powerhouse, lasted about three years before being worn down.”

This claim was immediately refuted by another.

“You can’t compare that way. Don’t forget, back then Qin Feng himself, under the pursuit of Wolf Seven and Tiemuer, held on for two whole years! At that time, he was only in the ‘Cup Realm’! Though he ultimately fell, it proved his strength far exceeded ordinary people.”

This analysis gained agreement from most.

“Exactly. Qin Feng lasted two years. Now, with equally top-tier talents like Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten, they should be able to hold on for about a year, right? They’re not weak, and they must have plenty of life-saving trump cards.”

“Mm, a year is about the limit. During that year, they’ll probably be chased with no way to escape, no door to enter.”

The audience chatted excitedly, as if foreseeing a long, cat-and-mouse drama unfolding across the star sea over the next year.

They even started betting on which of Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten would last longer.

“Oh no, wait.”

Just then, a cry of surprise broke the lively discussion.

A viewer who had been closely watching the battle said in an incredulous, trembling voice: “You… look!”

Everyone immediately turned their full attention to the live feed.

Then, all eyes widened, pupils contracting sharply in an instant.

In the picture, the brilliant streak representing Qin Feng traced an impossible zigzag through the void, crossing a vast distance with terrifying speed, and brutally intercepted Wolf Ten’s escape route!

It all happened too fast!

So fast that Wolf Ten hadn’t even managed to fly out of the thick atmosphere of the planet “Rotten Heart”!

“What?!”

“Impossible!”

“Pure speed! Qin Feng’s speed is terrifying!”

The viewing channel erupted in uproar.

And Wolf Ten, trapped in a desperate situation, felt only bone-deep cold and despair.

He watched helplessly as the figure approached from afar, the tip of that spear growing larger in his eyes, the shadow of death flooding over him like a tide.

“No—!”

Wolf Ten let out a furious roar, pouring all his power into his war blade, turning back to deliver the most supreme strike of his life.

But what greeted him was Qin Feng’s emotionless eyes.

The tip of [Star-Swallower] effortlessly shattered Wolf Ten’s protective spiritual energy, pierced through his proud war blade, and precisely penetrated his brow.

At the tip of the spear, the terrifying devouring force erupted.

Wolf Ten’s body, along with his power armor, instantly disintegrated into the most basic particle stream, devoured by [Star-Swallower].

In the starry sky, only a brilliant but fleeting energy firework remained.

Silence.

A dead silence.

All the spectators who had been heatedly discussing now looked like ducks with their necks wrung, unable to utter a single word.

One year?

They had just been debating how long Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten could last, with some even confidently predicting at least a year.

But reality had dealt them a resounding slap.

From the start of the chase to Wolf Ten's fall, it had only been a few short minutes.

They hadn't even managed to escape the planet's gravitational range.

In another star region, Wolf Seven, fleeing desperately, felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

The jade token on his wrist trembled slightly, and a system notification from the competition rules coldly appeared.

[Your temporary teammate 'Wolf Ten' has been killed by contestant 'Qin Feng'. Temporary team disbanded.]

Boom!

This message exploded in Wolf Seven's mind like a thunderbolt from the nine heavens.

Dead?

Wolf Ten... just died like that?

How much time had passed since they split up and fled?

Less than ten seconds!

Wolf Seven turned his head sharply to look back. In the distant starry background, beside the filthy planet "Rotten Heart," a brilliant energy firework was slowly dissipating.

That was the unique spectacle formed when a top-tier prodigy falls, as the vast energy contained in their life and equipment is released in an instant.

As the most outstanding prodigy of the "Shadowmoon Gray Wolf" battle group, he had a precise judgment of strength.

Now, he was inferior to Qin Feng!

Wolf Seven dared not pause for a moment. He pushed the secret technique of burning his life force to its extreme, turning into a streak of blood-red light, fleeing even more frantically into the unknown depths of the star sea.

However, he was fast, but Qin Feng was faster.

After dealing with Wolf Ten, Qin Feng did not stop for an instant. He turned his body and once again transformed into a streak of light, chasing directly in Wolf Seven's direction.

Spear rays, like divine punishment lances crossing the galaxy, continuously exploded ahead of Wolf Seven, blocking every direction he advanced, compressing his living space.

Wolf Seven ran for his life, darting left and right, but was horrified to find that no matter how he changed direction or maneuvered, he could never shake off the spear rays that followed like a shadow.

He was like a moth trapped in a spider web; no matter how he struggled, it only tightened the bonds around him.

The entire star sea seemed to have become Qin Feng's hunting ground.

And he was the prey completely locked in, utterly unable to escape Qin Feng's spear encirclement.

"Qin Feng! The enmity between us is only over the 'Sky-Piercing Vine'! I have more resources, and I know of an undiscovered high-level resource point."

Wolf Seven let out a mental roar, trying to shake Qin Feng's will, while secretly activating his power claws, preparing to ambush Qin Feng.

The response he received was even more violent and denser spear rays.

Qin Feng's will was as firm as divine iron.

His mind was completely immersed in the comprehension of the "Heaven-Swallowing Fist Technique."

The "River-Ocean Realm" mental power allowed him to understand this king-sealing level inheritance to an unprecedented height.

Devouring, crushing, gravity, collapse...

One by one, the core principles flowed, collided, and merged in his mind.

The [Star Swallower] in his hand sometimes was as light as a feather, causing stellar dust to dance along;

sometimes as heavy as a star, with a single strike causing visible collapse in space.

He perfectly integrated the will of the fist technique into his spear technique.

All of Wolf Seven's struggles and resistance became nourishment for Qin Feng's path to a higher realm.

Finally, after half a day of pursuit, the secret technique energy within Wolf Seven was exhausted, and his speed plummeted.

Qin Feng's figure appeared like a ghost before him, blocking his last escape route.

At that very moment, a brilliant divine light burst from Qin Feng's eyes.

Inside him, all the insights and accumulations regarding the "Heaven-Swallowing Fist Technique" completely fused and broke through the final bottleneck!

Boom!

An aura far more terrifying and profound than before erupted from within him.

[Level Seven Killing Technique: Heaven-Swallowing Fist Technique] — Great Completion!

"It's over."

Qin Feng slowly raised the [Star Swallower] and uttered two icy words.

With his breakthrough in realm, the power of this "Heaven-Swallowing" strike underwent an earth-shattering qualitative change.

On the tip of the [Star Swallower Spear], light began to warp, space began to collapse.

The spear tip seemed like a true miniature black hole!

An invisible yet irresistible terrifying mental will instantly enveloped tens of thousands of miles of space.

Under this will, everything around seemed frozen, time and space falling into stasis.

Wolf Seven, about to make his final struggle, was horrified to find that his body, his thoughts, even the spiritual energy within him, were all firmly imprisoned by this will, utterly unable to flee!

Then, the terrifying suction force came from the "black hole" at the spear tip.

Wolf Seven's body was uncontrollably pulled, flying toward the destructive spear tip.

King-sealing inheritance at great completion!

"Kill——!"

At the brink of life and death, Wolf Seven erupted with his final madness.

Wolf Seven poured all the remaining power in his body into his ferocious power claws and launched a suicidal, desperate strike at Qin Feng.

He had no choice; the terrifying suction left him no escape, forcing him to clash head-on with Qin Feng!

The result was obvious.

Crack——!

With a crisp shattering sound, Wolf Seven's power claws, capable of tearing apart warship armor, shattered inch by inch the moment they touched the "black hole."

Then, his specially made power armor, the wolf pelt that symbolized his identity, his proud and powerful physical body...

Everything, before that terrible force, burst apart like paper, turning into a primal torrent of energy, completely devoured by the "black hole" at the spear tip!

With Wolf Seven's complete annihilation, the jade token on Qin Feng's wrist immediately gave feedback.

[You have slain contestant 'Wolf Seven']

[You have gained points: 3289]

[You have gained resources: Darkwater 99921 tons, Sky-Piercing Vine fruits 3, Azure Cloud Liquid 3231 tons, Purple Extreme Gold Stone 10 tons...]

Next came the spoils of war from slaying Wolf Ten.

[You have slain contestant 'Wolf Ten']

[You have earned 2987 points]

[You have obtained resources: 12 Star Grass plants, 3 kilograms of Void Source Stone, 20 liters of Dragon Blood Essence...]

Gazing at the dense, lengthy list of resources displayed on the jade token's light screen, even Qin Feng couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"So many resources."

Qin Feng couldn't help but exclaim.

The quantity of these resources was indeed substantial.

Many of them were top-tier resources used to enhance mental strength or temper the physical body, their value no less than that of "Heavenvine Fruit."

A rough estimate put the combined value of these two batches of spoils at roughly two hundred Heavenvine Fruits.

"It seems that after backstabbing Temur and hogging all the fruits, Wolf Seven hasn't been idle all these years—he's been frantically hoarding resources."

Qin Feng understood in his heart.

Moreover, most of these items required long periods of secluded cultivation to absorb slowly.

"Wolf Seven probably planned to finish this job, then find a place to hide and go into seclusion to digest everything, only emerging after his strength had skyrocketed. But in the end... all his accumulation became my wedding dress."

Qin Feng stored all the spoils into his spatial storage.

His eyes were brighter than ever before.

"Indeed, in this bloody trial ground, the fastest way to plunder resources is to take from others."

This thought seemed to open a door to a new world for Qin Feng.

Searching for resources yourself is not as good as stealing someone else's.

—

The starry void returned to its eternal stillness.

Qin Feng floated silently in this expanse of emptiness, holding [Star Devourer], feeling the surging new power within him from breaking through to the "Great Completion" realm.

He cast his gaze downward at the massive, filthy planet—"Rotting Heart."

On the surface of that planet, at the center of a colossal ringed mountain, space was twisted into unnatural, water-like ripples.

There lay the entrance to the secret realm once occupied by Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten—a fragment of subspace containing a complete Zerg Hive.

Qin Feng's powerful mental strength could clearly sense that during the time he had been locked in fierce battle and pursuit with Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten, many sharks who had caught the scent of blood—those contestants lurking in the vicinity—had taken the opportunity to slip into that secret realm entrance, trying to profit from the chaos.

When a top-tier prodigy falls, the resource points they occupied naturally become ownerless, enough to attract the covetous eyes of countless others.

Had it been the Qin Feng of before, he might have unhesitatingly charged in to clear out both threats and opportunities.

But now, he merely glanced at it calmly and then looked away.

He opened the light screen on his wrist jade token, gazing at the astonishingly long list of spoils plundered from Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten.

[Lightless Water] 99,921 tons, [Heavenvine Fruit] 3 pieces, [Azure Cloud Liquid] 3,231 tons, [Purple Extreme Gold Stone] 10 tons, [Star Grass] 12 plants, [Void Source Stone] 3 kilograms...

In comparison, the core will of that Zerg Hive, though also quite valuable, seemed somewhat lackluster next to this haul.

More importantly, digesting these resources and fully converting them into personal strength required time.

A thought crystallized clearly in Qin Feng's mind and was quickly determined to be the optimal solution.

"No need to go in."

Qin Feng's gaze was calm.

"These resources are already enough for me to undergo a deep seclusion and elevate my strength to another level. That core will of the Zerg Hive isn't going anywhere."

Qin Feng decided to go into seclusion right here on the planet "Rotting Heart."

Waiting by the tree.

If, during his seclusion, someone was truly blessed by fortune and successfully retrieved the core will from the perilous Zerg Hive, then that person would be met by him—a "mantis" that had long bared its fangs.

At that moment, he would only need to strike and hunt, seizing both the fruits of their labor and their accumulated resources.

This was undoubtedly far more time- and energy-efficient than personally entering that complex secret realm to explore and fight.

If no one succeeded, that was fine too.

Once his strength had taken another leap, he could explore the Hive, already cleared by others, with minimal risk.

Either way, he stood to gain without loss.

Qin Feng had come to understand that in this bloody trial, the most efficient way to accumulate resources was never to "dig" for them, but to "take" them.

Having grasped this, Qin Feng hesitated no longer.

His figure turned into a streak of light, charging straight into the thick atmosphere of "Rotting Heart," and finally, in a desolate mountain range far from the secret realm entrance, he found a natural cave tens of thousands of meters deep underground.

With his immense power, he carved out a simple cave dwelling, then extended his mental strength to survey the surroundings before sitting down cross-legged.

From then on, any creature approaching this place, or anyone retrieving treasures from the subspace fragment, would be detected by Qin Feng. This simple multitasking posed no difficulty for him.

Then, with a thought, a mountain of top-tier resources was taken out from his spatial storage, piled high, their spiritual radiance nearly turning the entire underground cavern into a dazzling sea of stars.

Qin Feng slowly closed his eyes, his entire body like a statue, sinking into deep stillness.

—

The storm outside was only just beginning to brew. After Qin Feng chose to go into seclusion, the uproar caused by his earth-shattering battle erupted even more violently across private forums in various star sectors.

Universe Genius Tournament, Galaxy 117, Private Forum Combat Power Ranking.

This ranking was not issued by the authorities but was spontaneously compiled and updated in real time by countless spectators, intelligence dealers, and busybodies based on contestants' publicly displayed combat performance.

It might not fully reflect a person's hidden cards, but the top-ranked strong ones were undoubtedly forged through indisputable bloody battles, carrying immense credibility.

At this very moment, this ranking underwent a drastic change.

A name originally ranked outside the top thousand shot up like a rocket, leaping past hundreds of long-established prodigies, finally settling firmly into a position that left countless people dumbfounded.

['Madman' Qin Feng]

[Strength Assessment: Planetary River Realm, King Inheritance Great Completion]

[Current Rank: Galaxy 117, 42nd Place]

[Latest Battle Record: In the outer space of the planet 'Rotting Heart,' fought one against two, overwhelmingly crushed and effortlessly slew Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten—prodigies of the 'Shadow Moon Gray Wolf' Battle Group, both inheritors of King-level legacies.]

[Ability Details: His cultivated King Inheritance, 'Sky Devouring Fist Technique,' has been confirmed to have reached the 'Great Completion' realm.

His core killing move, 'Sky Devour,' when executed, contains extremely powerful mental pressure and devouring will, capable of absorbing and dismantling all forms of energy attacks and physical entities, with astonishing defensive capabilities.

According to post-battle analysis, if a challenger's mental strength cannot overwhelm Qin Feng in terms of realm, it is absolutely impossible to break through his killing technique's defense.]

[Under the mental pressure of the 'Sky Devour' killing technique, the locked target cannot perform spatial jumps, and even conventional evasive maneuvers are severely restricted, forcing them to engage Qin Feng head-on.]

[Comprehensive Conclusion: This person's foundation is unfathomably solid, with no weaknesses in physical body, mental strength, or killing technique realm.

If one cannot overwhelm him in all three dimensions simultaneously, they cannot inflict any effective damage on him, nor can they successfully escape his pursuit.

This inheritance from his master 'Sky Devour King,' combined with his own terrifying foundation, is truly... terrifying indeed!]

This analysis report, so exhaustive it borders on the outrageous, was like a ladle of cold water splashed into a vat of boiling oil—instantly, the entire forum erupted into chaos.

"Forty-second! Am I seeing this right? That 'madman' wasn't killed? He just revived and shot straight into the top fifty?"

"Not just the top fifty! Look at that analysis report—the evaluation is absurdly high! 'Overwhelming on three dimensions simultaneously'? How are we supposed to fight that? Who among the same rank can manage it?"

"This is too exaggerated! Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten were the finest twin stars of the 'Shadow Moon Gray Wolf' battle group in this generation. Together, they could even trade a few moves with the monsters ranked in the top thirty. And yet... in Qin Feng's hands, Wolf Seven was severely wounded in a single exchange, and when Wolf Ten arrived, both were left heavily injured."

"I watched the live stream from start to finish. The scene could only be described as 'despair.'"

"This inheritance of the 'Devourer King'—it's far too domineering!"

"After all, it's a presence above the King List. There's still a gap compared to ordinary king-level inheritances."

Countless voices rose and fell in waves. In that moment, the name Qin Feng had truly become the code for a top-tier predator that no contestant in the 117th galaxy could afford to ignore.

As for why he wasn't ranked in the top ten, or even higher, it was simply because Qin Feng's current battle record was too sparse. If he had a feat of slaying someone in the top ten, there was no doubt he would immediately surge into the top three.

---

Far away, on the distant Morning Star, at the Morning Star First Advanced Martial Arts High School.

Inside a simple training meditation room, a soft halo enveloped two figures.

Instructor Lin Yue, dressed in a sharp martial arts uniform, stood quietly watching the light screen floating before her. Displayed on that screen was the very combat power ranking that had ignited the genius war forum.

Her gaze lingered for a long time on the name "Qin Feng" and the long string of spine-chilling descriptions that followed.

After a long while, she let out a deep sigh, and a complex smile of both relief and pride involuntarily curved at the corners of her mouth.

"That guy... his strength has already far surpassed mine."

Her voice carried a hint of self-mockery, but also a touch of genuine pride.

"The planetary-level killing techniques are too difficult. The most basic seventh-grade technique, 'A Thousand Minds in One'—I only just reached mastery, and my mental energy has barely accumulated to eight hundred 'cups.' I started cultivating four or five hundred years before Qin Feng, yet now I can't even see his shadow anymore."

Lin Yue's smile gained a trace of bitterness. "It's truly... a growth rate that inspires awe."

"After all, Qin Feng is a true genius—you and I have known that for a long time," Instructor Gu Yue said with a comforting smile. "His comprehension is indeed one in ten thousand, terrifyingly so. Look at the forum's evaluation. His current level of killing technique mastery is probably enough to hold his ground in the 'Gladiator' tier of the Imperial Arena."

"Yes, Gladiator tier..."

Lin Yue murmured to herself, then let out a soft exclamation: "What about that guy Wu Shangfeng? How is he doing now? Why is no one talking about him?"

Gu Yue laughed. "What else could it be? He was provoked by Qin Feng and went off to the trial planet to hone his blade technique. He probably won't come back until he breaks through his bottleneck."

The two exchanged a knowing smile, their faces filled with emotion and blessings for their former student.

In truth, these instructors from Morning Star First High were once just ordinary graduates of Starry Sky Martial Arts Universities—not even among the top hundred. Their end point might not even match Qin Feng's starting point.

Meanwhile, at the Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University, inside the "Iron Fist Tavern," exclusive to the Fearless Battle Group, the atmosphere was at its most fervent peak.

On the massive light screen at the center of the tavern, hundreds of meters wide, a loop played the highlight reel of Qin Feng's battle against two opponents, crushing Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten.

Every clash between the [Star Devourer] spear and the enemy's weapons, every time Qin Feng's domineering figure surged forward, drew thunderous cheers and roars from the countless members of the Fearless Battle Group in the tavern.

"Senior Qin Feng! That's our Senior Qin Feng!"

"So strong! Those two were beaten without any chance to fight back!"

"Well done! This revenge is so satisfying! They ganged up on our senior before, right? Now he takes them on one versus two and crushes them effortlessly!"

"By the way, where's that bastard Tiemuer? He was the one who came up with the dirty scheme!"

Amid the boiling voices, Long Yu, Nissan, and Ning Jing sat in a corner, cups in hand, but their eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the battle footage on the screen.

The three of them had also successfully broken through and advanced to planetary-level martial artists, though they had yet to complete their graduation missions.

Now, watching their former comrade shine brilliantly on the stage of the Cosmic Genius War, their emotions were far more complex than those of the ordinary members around them.

"Qin Feng's application of power has reached a level we can hardly comprehend," Long Yu said, his gaze extremely solemn.

Ning Jing nodded, a glint of thought in his eyes. "This battle has taught us so much. Planetary-level combat isn't just about comparing life force indexes—it's a full-scale confrontation of mental energy realms, killing technique understanding, and battle will. Qin Feng has already walked ahead of us on this path."

The three fell silent and downed their drinks in one gulp.

Watching Qin Feng's cultivation and combat was, for them who had just stepped into the planetary level, nothing less than a top-tier live lesson, immensely beneficial for their future training.

---

Deep in the unknown reaches of the star sea, inside a grand war fortress floating at the edge of subspace, a towering martial artist sat in the void.

He wore a suit of magnificent purple power armor, adorned with countless exquisite falcon totems and feathered decorations—splendid yet dignified.

An imposing aura, like that of a sovereign descending upon the world, radiated from within him.

He was the top prodigy from the legendary "Sons of the Emperor" battle group, the recognized number one on the combat power ranking of the 117th galaxy in this Cosmic Genius War: Cang.

At this moment, Cang was watching with great interest the subspace network panel before him, which displayed the same combat analysis report on Qin Feng.

"Oh? The Devourer King's inheritance. Another prodigy who has accepted the inheritance of a 'King List' powerhouse. Interesting."

In his eyes, it seemed only those who were also inheritors of the King List were worthy of a second glance.

"Bata," he said flatly.

"Yes, Master," replied a completely emotionless electronic synthesized voice from the void.

"Mark this guy named Qin Feng," Cang said. "Set a reminder for twenty years. If he's still active after twenty years, immediately push his coordinate information to me."

"Understood, Master. Marking complete. Shall I plan a hunting route for him now?" the intelligent assistant Bata responded.

"No rush," Cang said, slowly closing his eyes. "Let him develop for a while. His strength is considerable. In twenty years, the resources he accumulates should be quite substantial."

"In the future, I'll need to 'plunder' more of these kinds of fellows to help me step into the 'Boundless Sea' realm faster."

---

Time flowed in absolute stillness.

For planetary-level martial artists immersed in deep cultivation, the concept of time becomes blurred and meaningless.

One cycle of circulation might already be a year.

Deep beneath the planet "Rotten Heart," within the cave dwelling that Qin Feng had temporarily carved out, all light had been withdrawn.

The once towering piles of top-tier resources, enough to turn the entire cavern into a brilliant sea of stars, had now vanished without a trace, leaving only the most basic energy residues, ground to dust and scattered across the floor.

At the center of the cave, Qin Feng sat cross-legged, his figure covered in a thin layer of dust.

Twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye.

At a certain moment, his eyes, deeper than the stars themselves, slowly opened.

There was no earth-shattering burst of momentum, no terrifying spectacle of psychic energy running wild.

All his power, all his gains, had been perfectly contained within his body, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.

It was a stillness that returned to simplicity, to the essence of things.

With a slight stir of his mind, Qin Feng summoned his own interface.

In the "Cultivation Method" column, the data for the empire's strategic-level cultivation method, *Ten Complete Hands*, had changed.

【Ten Complete Hands (Not Yet Initiated)】

【Proficiency: 4/10】

Twenty years of seclusion, aside from digesting resources, had, under the blessing of the "Heaven Rewards Diligence" system, quietly increased the proficiency of this supreme cultivation method by one point.

"Huh..."

Qin Feng let out a long breath of turbid air. This breath was long and solid, leaving a clear white mark on the cave wall that lingered for a long time.

"Without the aid of *Ten Complete Hands*, it would have taken me at least a hundred years of hard work to fully digest the resources plundered from Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten."

His voice echoed in the empty cave, tinged with a faint note of reflection.

During the seclusion, he could clearly feel the subtlety of *Ten Complete Hands*.

Whenever he refined a heavenly treasure or earthly gem, the vast and chaotic energy, the moment it entered his body, would be wrapped, sorted, and broken down by a warm yet domineering heat flow, then integrated into his limbs, bones, psychic core, and even his spiritual sea in the most efficient and gentle way.

The entire process was as smooth as flowing water, with almost no energy loss.

"The Limit Warrior Legion, the Thunder Martial Hall... these top-tier legions of the empire must also have their own inherited supreme cultivation methods. However, they may not be as exquisite as *Ten Complete Hands*, nor bring such a massive efficiency boost."

Qin Feng's gaze was deep.

"This is also one of my core advantages. In this thousand-year grand zone trial, whoever can absorb resources most efficiently will be able to snowball through life-and-death battles, leaving all opponents far behind."

He stood up, stretching his limbs, and a series of dull roars, like stars exploding, came from within his body.

It was time to summarize the gains of these twenty years.

First, the spiritual level.

This was the top priority of his seclusion.

Numerous spiritual resources had been fully refined by him.

Now, he could clearly feel that the surging "river" in his spiritual sea had more than doubled in width, depth, and flow compared to twenty years ago.

The total amount of spiritual power was roughly twice that before the seclusion.

This improvement gave him a qualitative leap in his control over the "Great Achievement" realm of the *Swallowing Heaven Fist Technique*, as well as in the range and precision of his perception of the outside world.

"Unfortunately, the realm of 'Planet Fifth Limit·Infinite Sea' remains as distant as ever."

Qin Feng shook his head slightly.

From "River" to "Infinite Sea" is not a mere accumulation of quantity; it requires a massive qualitative change and sudden enlightenment—a true chasm.

Second, the physical level.

Among the spoils from Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten, there were also many top-tier resources for tempering the body, such as [Dragon Blood Essence] and [Purple Extreme Gold Crystal].

These resources had now been digested and absorbed by him, not a drop left.

He could feel a significant improvement in his muscle density, cell activity, and explosive power.

The body hidden beneath his skin was like an ancient beast growing continuously, each heartbeat filled with explosive strength.

Finally, the upgrade of his weapon.

He held the [Swallowing Star] spear in his hand. On the spear's shaft, there seemed to be some subtle, almost imperceptible patterns flowing like nebulae.

The color of the spear shaft had also deepened, though still without any obvious change.

Among Wolf Seven's spoils, Qin Feng had discovered many rare metals and ores whose names he did not even know.

For the vast majority of contestants, these materials were completely unusable because their weapons had long been fixed and could not incorporate new materials later.

Thus, these things could only be temporarily hoarded, waiting to be exchanged for contribution points in the future.

"Almost none of these geniuses possess a 'Heavenly Derivative Weapon.' So these rare materials are of no practical use to them; they can only be stockpiled for now. This is convenient for me."

A smile appeared on Qin Feng's face.

His [Swallowing Star], as a "Heavenly Derivative Weapon," had one of its greatest traits: "growth potential."

These top-tier materials, regarded as worthless by Wolf Seven and others, could, after being absorbed by [Swallowing Star], actually enhance its own grade.

Twenty years of seclusion had increased his overall strength by more than tenfold!

Having made his summary, Qin Feng's figure flickered, and he silently appeared on the surface.

He restrained all his aura and cast his gaze toward the distant crater-shaped secret realm, where space still appeared distorted.

However, the scene before him made him frown slightly.

In his powerful spiritual perception, the number of martial artists gathered in this area had not decreased over the twenty years; instead, it had increased.

Around the entrance to the secret realm, countless temporary camps were densely packed, and powerful auras rose into the sky without concealment.

A rough scan revealed that the number of contestants stationed here had reached nearly a hundred thousand.

If those who had already entered the secret realm were counted, the total would likely be several times higher.

This filled Qin Feng with deep confusion.

"Twenty years, and still no one has retrieved the will core of the Zerg Hive from inside? What's going on?"

His spiritual power swept out like quicksilver, and soon he captured more information that caught his attention.

Among the martial artists who had entered the secret realm, he sensed many top-tier experts whose auras were no weaker than those of Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten back then.

Moreover, these people were not lone wolves; they had formed temporary teams of considerable strength and entered together.

"For so many top-tier geniuses to be drawn here, even willing to cooperate in exploration... this secret realm is probably not as simple as it appears on the surface."

Qin Feng's mind stirred, and he immediately connected to the subspace network, beginning to search for relevant information in the private domain forum of the 117th star system.

Sure enough, in just a moment, he found clues among the seven or eight most popular posts on the forum.

One of the posts, marked in red, had a shocking title.

【Shocking Reversal! 'Rotten Heart' Subspace Fragment—Major Intelligence Update on the Zerg Secret Realm!】

Qin Feng clicked on it immediately.

The content of the post explained all the doubts in his mind in detail.

"...Based on intelligence gathered at great cost by multiple top-tier teams, all previous assessments of this secret realm space have been significantly misjudged!"

Within this secret realm, the will core of that insectoid hive mother—its true rank is—Stellar Level!"

"However, this hive mother is imprisoned here for unknown reasons, and when its subspace projection crossed the invisible barrier of our human race's 'Subspace Pure Land,' it was suppressed by the Emperor's mighty power, thus unable to unleash the terrifying strength befitting a Stellar-level powerhouse.

Its true body is nailed firmly at the realm's core, unable to move, relying only on an endless swarm of guardian insects for protection!"

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

If we can break through the swarm's blockade and slay the hive mother queen, suppressed to the extreme, we can seize a complete Stellar-level hive mother will!

If one refines it, their strength will undergo a radical transformation, at the very least completing half of the Boundless Sea!!"

Below the post were countless frantic comments from participants.

"Looking for a team! I'm at the peak of 'Lake Realm,' with minor mastery of the King's Inheritance. Seeking several peers of equal strength to jointly hunt the hive mother queen and seize the Stellar-level opportunity!"

"Selling a safe route map for the early part of the realm, with analysis of weaknesses for three types of elite insectoid monsters. Price via private message!"

"..."

Beyond this main post, the forum's hot section featured seven or eight similar posts, all without exception about discoveries of suppressed "Stellar-level" opportunities scattered across the trial star cluster.

Some were sealed Stellar-level demons, others were slumbering Stellar-level alien races, and still others were remnants of Stellar-level civilization ruins.

Seeing this, Qin Feng suddenly understood completely.

"So that's it..."

He recalled what his mentor Yu Han had once told him about the ultimate secrets of the Empire and the subspace.

"The subspace corresponding to human territory is guarded by the Emperor's supreme will, becoming a 'Pure Land' unique to humanity.

All indestructible subspace projections of alien races lie beyond this Pure Land, in the myriad-race battlefield and their territories."

"Thus... as long as these alien Stellar-level powerhouses, whether their true bodies or projections, are captured or imprisoned within human territory by some means, their strength is massively suppressed by the 'Subspace Pure Land,' like a dragon trapped in a shallow pond, unable to exert much power."

A glimmer of understanding flashed in Qin Feng's eyes.

This was no coincidence.

The competition organizers had deliberately placed these Stellar-level opportunities, "neutered" by the Emperor's might, as boons for the top geniuses, and had carefully controlled the timeline of their appearance.

Having figured all this out, Qin Feng's gaze toward that insectoid realm had become entirely different.

A Stellar-level hive mother will, suppressed to its limit... this was far more precious than the resources on Wolf Seven and Wolf Ten.

(End of chapter)