Chapter 28: A Month in the Blink of an Eye

Chapter 28: A Month in the Blink of an Eye

Time, in a manner almost extravagant, was being consumed.

For the geniuses immersed in bitter cultivation, the alternation of day and night lost its meaning. The only yardsticks were the surging power within their bodies and the ever-clearer martial insights in their minds.

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed in haste.

Central Training Hall, Public Martial Arts Room.

"Boom!"

A dull, heavy explosion erupted in the fist-force testing area.

Qian Duoduo's massive frame, like an enraged giant bear, drove his fist with a howling, vicious wind, slamming fiercely into the specially made fist-force target.

The electronic screen above the tester flickered wildly, numbers leaping, before finally settling.

[1987 KG]

"Pant... pant..."

Qian Duoduo gasped for breath, sweat streaming down his round cheeks, but his eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Not bad."

Shi Potian nodded beside him, offering an objective assessment. "Your explosive power has increased by nearly ten percent. You're almost at the threshold of mastering the *Mountain-Shattering Hammer Technique*."

All myriad killing techniques are inseparable from fist techniques.

A direct increase in fist-force explosion typically represents a deeper understanding of killing techniques.

"Heh, I owe it to you and Qin Feng for keeping me in check," Qian Duoduo said with a simple, honest smile. "Without you two, I'd probably still be sleeping in the dorm right now."

"My turn."

Shi Potian walked to another tester. He didn't use a weapon, just stood calmly, adjusting his breath.

The next second, his figure moved.

A standard straight punch, utterly without flourish, yet swift as lightning, carrying a sharp, unstoppable momentum, struck the center of the fist-target with precision.

[4998 KG]

Nearly five thousand kilograms of fist force.

"Shi-ge is still Shi-ge, almost breaking through to a second-level martial artist," Qian Duoduo exclaimed in awe.

Shi Potian withdrew his fist, glanced at the data, his face expressionless—clearly unsurprised by the result.

His gaze turned to the last person.

"Qin Feng, your turn."

Qin Feng nodded and stepped forward.

He too used no weapon, merely assuming the most basic punching stance, then threw a punch.

[1389 KG]

"Great progress," Shi Potian said, surprised as he looked at the number.

A month ago, Qin Feng's basic fist force had been less than 1000 kilograms.

In one month, the increase was substantial.

If it were purely a vitality index, such progress wouldn't be possible.

This indicated that Qin Feng's understanding of killing techniques was extremely high, far surpassing theirs.

Though they were stronger than Qin Feng in strength, when it came to the speed of progress... they were far behind.

Qin Feng's killing technique had definitely already entered the threshold!

"As expected, anyone who gets into Qiyi High School is no simple character," Shi Potian murmured inwardly.

"Just testing fist force is boring. Come on, let's try our killing techniques!" Qian Duoduo grew excited, raising his heavy hammer and assuming a stance. "Qin Feng, you attack me first! Let me see how your *Thousand-Army Spear* is coming along!"

"Alright."

Qin Feng walked to the weapon rack and took down the familiar alloy long spear.

He gripped the spear with both hands, and his entire aura shifted in an instant.

The usual calm was replaced by a presence as heavy as a mountain, as deep as an abyss.

"Watch out."

The moment the words fell, Qin Feng moved.

He shifted his footing, his figure darting forward like a phantom, the spear in his hand transforming into a streak of silver light, thrusting straight at Qian Duoduo's chest.

Qian Duoduo's pupils contracted. He dared not be careless, immediately raising his hammer to block.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound of metal striking metal rang out.

Qin Feng's spear tip precisely struck the body of Qian Duoduo's hammer, and a concentrated force erupted, forcing Qian Duoduo back half a step.

Before he could steady himself, Qin Feng's spear changed direction—from thrust to sweep, whistling through the air as it lashed toward his lower body.

Qian Duoduo hurriedly withdrew his hammer to defend, but Qin Feng's assault was like quicksilver, relentless and unbroken.

Thrust, stab, parry, block... the most basic spear techniques flowed effortlessly from his hands, seamlessly linked, forcing Qian Duoduo into a flustered, purely defensive posture.

Beside them, Shi Potian's eyes revealed barely concealed astonishment.

Ten minutes later, Qin Feng withdrew his spear and stood still.

He was exhausted.

As for Qian Duoduo, though he seemed to be barely fending off the attacks, his vitality index far exceeded Qin Feng's, and he was only slightly out of breath.

"No more, no more!" He waved his hands repeatedly. "Qin Feng, you're a monster! In just one month, how did your spear technique become more polished than mine?"

"You rascal," Qin Feng said with a wry smile. "I'm exhausted, and I still can't break through your defense! My vitality index is still too low. Strength, speed, endurance—I can't keep up with you."

"Qin Feng," Shi Potian walked over, looking at him, his voice low. "If this were the Imperial Arena, with the same physical condition, Little Fatty would definitely lose to you. Your *Thousand-Army Spear* must have already entered the threshold long ago."

"Yeah," Qin Feng nodded.

"Entered the threshold?"

Qian Duoduo's eyes widened. "Brother Shi, you've got to be joking. 'The Army-Breaker Spear' is widely recognized as the single hardest first-tier spear technique to master! And he's already grasped the basics in just a month?"

"His movements flow smoothly, his force delivery is refined, and he has already established his own rhythm. Those are the hallmarks of basic mastery."

Shi Potian delivered his professional assessment.

He looked toward Qin Feng and continued, "The speed of your progress is fast. Very fast."

"Heh, well that goes without saying."

Qian Duoduo sidled closer, his face beaming with borrowed pride. "Our Qin Feng here is a true dark horse! This just proves his comprehension is through the roof!"

Shi Potian did not argue.

To take a spear technique universally acknowledged as the most difficult and reach basic mastery within a single month—

such a pace could no longer be explained by mere hard work.

There had to be talent involved, or rather, a defining element of natural comprehension.

What they did not know was that across Qin Feng's status panel, the fruits of his bitter cultivation over the past month were currently on clear display.

[Name: Qin Feng]

[Vitality Index: 2.98]

[Martial Artist Rank: Tier One Martial Artist]

[Cultivation Technique: Imperial Body-Forging Method (Lesser Mastery)]

[Proficiency: 312/1000]

[Combat Technique: Army-Breaker Spear (Basic Mastery)]

[Proficiency: 31/100]

[Effect: At the current realm, comprehension of spear techniques receives a minor boost]

[Realms: Basic, Lesser, Greater, Perfection, Mastery.]

[Cultivation Technique: Imperial Meditation Method (Uninitiated)]

[Proficiency: 9/10]

[Proficiency reaching 10 will advance this to Basic Mastery]

In the span of a single month, his proficiency in the body-forging method had surged by nearly three hundred points, advancing at a frantic pace of seven to ten points each day.

His vitality index had skyrocketed along with it, drawing close to the 3.0 threshold.

And the "Army-Breaker Spear" had indeed successfully crossed into basic mastery, exactly as Shi Potian noted, with its proficiency reaching 31 points.

The slowest to progress was the "Imperial Meditation Method"; over the entire month, its proficiency had barely crawled to 9 points, leaving him just one final point away from basic mastery.

"Let's go grab some food,"

Qin Feng said to the other two, shutting down his status panel.

...

They took their usual spot by the window in the public cafeteria.

The three of them discussed their upcoming plans over their nutritional meals.

"Whew, we finally made it through this first month."

Qian Duoduo gulped down a massive swig of water and breathed a long sigh of relief. "Tomorrow is our very first practical combat class, and the day after that is the monthly exam. Once the exam is over, we'll have to find a way to start grinding for merit points."

Shi Potian paused mid-motion, lifting his gaze to look at the two of them.

"The resources from a D-rank contract can no longer keep pace with my cultivation speed. You two will likely fall behind soon as well, so we must elevate our contract status as quickly as possible."

"Exactly."

Qian Duoduo instantly grew animated, bringing up his data pad and tapping away at the screen. "I've already dug up all the details. Upgrading from D-rank to C-rank requires 100 merit points. From C to B, it's 1,000 points. From B to A takes 10,000. As for the legendary S-rank, that requires a staggering 100,000 merit points!"

He smacked his lips. "If you want to earn merit points, there are only a few major avenues. First up is tomorrow's practical combat class. I hear the instructor evaluates us based on our performance during missions, and those ratings convert directly into merit points. Anyone who stands out could easily pocket dozens of points in one go."

"Second is the monthly exam the day after tomorrow. Just placing in the top one hundred of our year earns a merit point reward. The higher the rank, the grander the prize. I hear making it into the top ten nets you over a hundred points instantly, boosting you straight to a C-rank contract!"

"Aside from those, there are achievements that aren't strictly gated by sheer strength."

Qian Duoduo looked toward Qin Feng. "For instance, your rank in the Imperial Arena. Or certain testing trials within the school, like the 'Gravity Bronze Man Alley' or the 'Countercurrent Runway'. As long as you hit a specific milestone, the academy grants a one-off reward of merit points. For newcomers, that's practically the most direct pipeline for points."

Shi Potian nodded upon hearing this. "There is one more thing. We have been practicing our combat techniques for a month now; it is time to test them in the arena. Actual combat is the fastest way to hone one's fighting skills."

"Right!"

Qian Duoduo slapped his thigh. "That's exactly what I mean! Starting today, we have to weave the Imperial Arena into our daily cultivation routine! We can carve out half of our afternoon combat practice, or even devote the entire slot to fighting in the arena."

"Works for me,"

Qin Feng agreed.

"No objections here either."

Shi Potian was concise. "We can add each other as friends first. It's better to practice among acquaintances before jumping into ranked matches to raise our standings."

"Perfect!"

Qian Duoduo tightened his fist, his face alive with determination. "Then our cultivation schedule needs an overhaul. With the Imperial Arena and the merit point grind thrown into the mix, time is going to be tight from here on out. We're going to be a lot busier every single day."

The meal concluded amidst their shared blueprints and aspirations for the future.

"Let's head back and turn in early tonight. Practical combat class is tomorrow."

"I heard the homeroom teacher takes on a mission and leads us out to complete it... if we're lucky, we can pull in a ton of merit points."

"And if we're unlucky, we might just die out there."

"..."

(End of Chapter)