Chapter 87: Qi Ming Rookie King

Chapter 87: Qiming Newcomer King

On the arena, blood covered the ground.

Qin Feng stood silently, his left hand completely ruined, hanging at his side, flesh and blood mangled, a gruesome sight.

Yet his bearing remained extraordinary, his figure straight as a spear, like an unshakable mountain.

Lei Yi, collapsed in the distance, leaned against the energy barrier at the edge of the arena, gasping for breath, blood streaming from the corner of his mouth and the wound on his shoulder.

He looked at Qin Feng, his eyes, somewhat unfocused from blood loss, held no resentment, only a deep, heartfelt admiration and emotion.

"In life-and-death combat... your experience... is far more seasoned than mine."

Lei Yi coughed up a mouthful of bloody foam, his voice hoarse as he continued: "That counter just now... you... you must have used it several times, even dozens of times."

Qin Feng nodded slightly and replied calmly, "That's right."

"I've seen many reckless fighting styles, especially trading injuries to get close, sliding along the spear shaft to close in. Over time, I naturally developed a counter."

In virtual battles, everyone dares to trade injury for injury.

This dangerous situation of being caught by the opponent's spear and forced into close quarters—Qin Feng had experienced it too many times. And being slid close by a short staff, he had truly experienced it once from Sun He.

This counter of lifting the spear to offload force and trading injury for a move was the optimal solution Qin Feng had distilled from countless failures.

If an opponent grabs the spear to close in, the best move is to lift the spear, making it instantly leave the ground.

This sudden lift catches the opponent off guard, leaving them no time to react, causing a momentary lapse in focus and a loss of power cohesion. Though unexpected, that instant of power loss is enough to decide life and death.

"I lost."

"Wholeheartedly."

Lei Yi struggled, trying to stand, but ultimately failed. Leaning against the energy barrier, he saluted Qin Feng with an Imperial military salute.

Qin Feng returned the salute in respect.

The referee took a deep breath, snapping back from the shock of that brutal battle.

With all his strength, he announced loudly:

"The winner of this match is—Qiming First Martial Arts Senior High School, Qin Feng!"

"He is also the champion of this year's Qiming Star Inter-School League Freshman Tournament!"

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

Then, an unprecedented roar erupted, like a volcanic explosion!

Cheers, applause, and shouts converged into a towering wave of sound, nearly tearing off the dome of the "Arctic Crown"!

Qin Feng gripped the blood-soaked spear tightly in one hand, while his other mangled left hand returned the salute.

And Lei Yi, half-lying in the corner of the blood-soaked arena, struggled to grit his teeth and return the Imperial military salute. The two respected each other, separated by the blood-covered arena.

Medical team members rushed onto the arena, running toward the two bathed in blood.

At the same time, the referee roared hoarsely.

The camera froze on this image.

This poster was later used multiple times as a promotional cover by the "Qiming Spectator" organization.

—

When Qin Feng and Lei Yi were carried off the arena at top speed by the medical team, the brief silence of the entire "Arctic Crown" venue was finally shattered.

The atmosphere did not calm with the end of the battle; instead, it was like a furnace injected with volatile fuel, completely detonated!

The roaring waves of sound nearly shattered the simulated starry river. "Qiming Newcomer King! A new legend is born today!"

"So powerful! That battle was pure art! Both had mastered killing techniques, but Qin Feng's spear skills were clearly a level above Lei Yi's staff skills! Lei Yi had just entered mastery, his foundation unstable, while Qin Feng—every move and stance was smooth and effortless, likely already touching the threshold of 'perfection'!"

"It's not just the gap in realm! Didn't you see that final move? Lei Yi was trading injury for injury, a desperate gamble! And what happened? It was broken by Qin Feng with a fiercer, more seasoned method I can't even comprehend! That reaction speed and combat intelligence—it's not like a freshman at all!"

"This guy is definitely a madman who spends every day in the Imperial Arena! Only in a place like that can you hone such terrifying combat instincts!"

The audience's discussions hit the core of the issue precisely.

The Imperial Arena, that vast virtual network built in subspace dimensions, though simulated combat, offered an experience indistinguishable from reality. Pain, fatigue, exhaustion, even the death experience at the moment of being killed—all fed back to the user's mind with 100% fidelity.

This immense mental burden is unbearable for ordinary people.

Thus, schools like Qiming First High and Xinghe Military Affiliated High, which adopt brutal militarized credit management, forbid students from using family resources, and offer no way out without desperate effort—their students are forced to plunge madly into the Imperial Arena, fighting bloodily for the initial 50 massive credits needed to upgrade to a C-level contract.

As for most other martial arts high school students, especially those geniuses with family support, they have more comfortable and safer cultivation methods.

To them, the Imperial Arena is more a platform for occasional experience and skill exchange. After at most a dozen matches a day, the intense mental shock and painful experience create great psychological resistance.

They simply cannot understand the madness of Qiming First High students.

Observation Tower, Top Floor.

The atmosphere here was equally heated.

Professor Gu Yue sat leisurely, stroking his beard, an irrepressible smile on his face, his eyes full of relief and pride.

This disciple he had his eye on had not let him down.

The shock on the faces of other school mentors had not yet fully faded.

The mentor from Tianxuan Martial Arts High, though regretting Lei Yi's defeat, was quite satisfied with his disciple's daring performance.

The other mentors gathered around, offering congratulations with a hint of envy, even a sour tone, to Professor Gu Yue.

"Old Gu, congratulations! Qiming First High has produced another remarkable talent!"

"Yes, this year's Newcomer King has the highest quality in the last ten sessions! The duel between two masters of killing techniques—truly an eye-opener!"

"Now we finally understand why Lord Zhou specifically asked about this Qin Feng. Turns out this kid is a terrifying figure hiding his true strength!"

Amid the chorus of congratulations, Professor Gu Yue's grin nearly split his face.

"Not at all, not at all."

Professor Gu Yue stroked his beard, putting on airs: "This kid still needs tempering; he hasn't yet met Qiming First High's standards for students. The road ahead is long."

This remark drew a round of eye-rolls.

Professor Gu Yue reveled in it.

(End of Chapter)