"I lost."
Sun He’s voice was a bit hoarse, but he was exceptionally magnanimous.
"I accept my defeat wholeheartedly. Qin Feng, you... are the most terrifying genius I have ever seen."
He made no excuses for his failure.
Qin Feng shook his head and said calmly, "You’re too kind, Senior Sun He. I only had the advantage of my weapon. A long spear against a short stick naturally has the advantage of ’an inch longer, an inch stronger.’ If you had been using a long stick at the Perfection Realm, there’s no way I could have won."
This wasn’t entirely false modesty.
If Sun He had also been using a long weapon, it would have been much harder for Qin Feng’s Thousand Soldiers Guarding to easily keep him at a safe distance as it had before.
However, upon hearing this, Sun He just laughed self-deprecatingly.
"You don’t have to console me, Qin Feng."
He waved his hand. "The weapon advantage was my own choice. I chose the short stick for its flexibility and explosive close-range power. That is my Martial Dao. If I’d chosen a long stick, I probably wouldn’t have even reached the lesser success stage by now. A loss is a loss. My skills were inferior, there’s nothing more to say."
He paused, his gaze turning exceptionally serious as he looked at Qin Feng.
"Besides, do you really think you only won because of your weapon?"
"Your strength, your stamina, and your deeply-rooted spear techniques... those were the real keys to your victory. I’m very curious, what’s the deal with your body? That’s not the kind of constitution a Second Level Martial Artist should have."
Sun He truly couldn’t figure it out.
That seemingly endless, inexhaustible physical energy had left an indelible impression on him.
Qin Feng thought for a moment before saying calmly, "The reward for being the rookie king. My physical aptitude was enhanced a little."
"I see."
Sun He had a sudden realization.
The other senior students also came to understand.
But the rookie king reward was something Qin Feng had fought for and earned himself. It was a part of his own strength.
"Impressive. Truly impressive."
Sun He stood up and solemnly clasped his fist to his palm at Qin Feng. "I’ve learned a great deal from our battle today. Thank you for the lesson."
There was no trace of resentment or unwillingness in him. His words and actions were filled with the open-mindedness and respect shared between Martial Artists after a spar to test their skills.
"You’re too kind, Senior. The same goes for me. I also gained a lot."
Qin Feng also stood and returned the gesture.
Sun He smiled and patted the shoulders of Feng Ruyun and the others, who were still in shock. "Let’s go. Time to go back and train hard. I was getting a little full of myself after breaking through my limits and naturally comprehending the Perfect Stick Technique..."
"Now I’m much more clear-headed. This is a good thing."
Sun He let out a hearty laugh. "Thanks again, Qin Feng. I’m heading off. Back to the Martial Arts Room for some hard training."
"Alright."
Qin Feng nodded slightly.
He was also reviewing his own strength.
’A month ago, I couldn’t last thirty seconds against Sun He.’
’After comprehending Thousand Soldiers Guarding, my defense became impregnable. With my weapon’s advantage, I could last a minute and a half against him.’
’Back then, Sun He was still using the Great Success Stick Skill.’
’And now, facing Sun He and his Perfect Stick Technique, I managed to defeat him.’
’Against Senior Sun He, my cold weapon advantage played a huge role. Besides, his vitality index hasn’t reached 20.0; it’s only around 18.0.’
’If I were to fight other senior students who have reached Perfection in their killing techniques and whose vitality index has reached the Second Level Martial Artist limit of 20.0, I would have absolutely no chance of winning.’
Qin Feng summarized in his mind, ’Increase my vitality index, and raise my killing technique to the Perfection Realm! Once I close these two gaps, I’ll have a fighting chance against the top second-year seniors.’
After every battle, Qin Feng would summarize his strengths and the areas he needed to improve, just like this.
This was no different from the old saying, "I reflect on myself three times a day."
-----------------
The commotion in the cafeteria didn’t leave much of a ripple in Qin Feng’s mind.
To him, the battle with Sun He was more like a precise test of his strength, giving him a clear understanding of his current combat prowess.
After finishing their meal, the three of them left the cafeteria together.
"Old Qin, that was insane! The forums are blowing up!"
Qian Duoduo was still immersed in a state of immense excitement, waving his arms and legs about, spittle flying everywhere.
Shi Potian walked beside them without a word, but his steps were a little faster than usual.
Evidently, the battle between Qin Feng and Sun He had affected him deeply.
At the fork in the road in front of the academic building, the three parted ways, each heading to their own training location.
Qin Feng returned to his private Martial Arts Room, B-17.
He closed the door, shutting out the outside world.
Qin Feng’s mind also grew calm.
He wasn’t dizzy with victory, nor was he complacent due to the praise from others.
He was well aware that his victory over Sun He was due to the physical advantages brought by his Gold-standard Human Grade II constitution, as well as his cold weapon advantage.
But in terms of his killing technique’s realm, he still lagged behind the truly top-tier senior students.
He opened his terminal and re-evaluated and confirmed his training plan. It was no different from the one he’d made in the dormitory, only now the location was a place with better resources and more privacy.
Morning: Cultivate the Intermediate Imperial Body Refining Method, consume a high-grade Spiritual Energy Potion, and maximize the increase of his vitality index.
Afternoon: Cultivate his killing technique, engage in high-intensity practical combat in the Imperial Arena to hone his skills and increase his proficiency.
Evening: Continue cultivating the Body Refining Technique, and before bed, practice the Emperor Meditation method to train his Mental Power.
With the plan set, he immediately put it into action.
Qin Feng spent the entire morning immersed in cultivating his Body Refining Technique. In the abundant Spiritual Energy environment of his private Martial Arts Room, his cultivation efficiency was a notch higher than before.
At twelve noon, he finished his cultivation on time and consumed a high-grade Spiritual Energy Potion.
A vast and pure energy once again washed through his entire body, and was rapidly absorbed and converted by his terrifyingly efficient physique.
[Intermediate Imperial Body Refining Method Proficiency: +410]
[Name]: Qin Feng
[Vitality Index]: 16.71
A morning of cultivation, plus one high-grade Spiritual Energy Potion, had steadily increased his vitality index by 0.2 points.
If word of this speed got out, it would be enough to shock any Martial Arts Instructor.
After eating a Class-B Energy Meal and replenishing his body’s energy consumption, Qin Feng returned to his private Martial Arts Room.
Without the slightest delay, he lay down in the room’s Life Support Pod-style chair and linked his consciousness to the Subspace Network.
After the familiar dizzy spell, he once again arrived at the Imperial Arena’s login interface.
Just as he was about to click "Start Ranked Match," a new system notification popped up.
[Your Martial Artist level has been detected to have increased to: Second Level Martial Artist.]
[The Imperial Arena has unlocked a higher vitality index bracket for you. Please select your matching mode:]
[1. Lock Vitality Index: 10.0]
[2. Lock Vitality Index: 20.0]
"Oh?"
A thoughtful glint flashed in Qin Feng’s eyes as he looked at this new option.
’What’s the difference between locking the vitality index at 20.0 versus 10.0?’
As soon as his question arose, a detailed explanation automatically appeared on the system interface.
[The Imperial Arena is dedicated to providing all Martial Artists with the fairest and most realistic combat experience. The division of vitality index brackets is intended to simulate combat environments at different life levels.]
[The higher the vitality index bracket, the higher the potential Martial Artist level and mastered killing technique level of the opponents you will be matched with.]
Qin Feng looked at the description and, after a moment’s thought, understood the key point.
In this vast Star River Era, the cultivation of the Martial Dao followed a strict system.
Killing techniques were also divided into levels.
First-level Killing Technique, Second-level Killing Technique, Third-level Killing Skill—each more profound and terrifying than the last.
The vitality index, or in other words, one’s physical constitution, is the foundation for the power of a killing technique.
The more advanced the killing technique, the higher the vitality index required of the Martial Artist.
Right now, in the first three levels of Martial Artists, this distinction wasn’t very apparent.
This was because whether they were new students or senior students, almost everyone cultivated First-level Killing Techniques.
But once the vitality index was high and the Martial Artist level increased, the difference would become enormous.
A simple example: take a Sixth-level Martial Artist who has mastered a Third-level Killing Skill. If their vitality index were forcibly locked at 10.0, then even with their profound comprehension of the killing skill, they would be utterly unable to unleash its true power.
The Imperial Arena’s bracket divisions were designed precisely to solve this problem.
"So that’s how it is."
Qin Feng understood. This was a good thing for him.
’Only by fighting stronger opponents can I make faster progress.’
He chose the second option without hesitation.
[Selection confirmed: Lock Vitality Index 20.0 (Advanced Zone)]
[Matching you with an opponent...]
For the rest of the afternoon, Qin Feng was completely immersed in the high-intensity ranked matches of the 20.0 bracket.
As expected, the battles here were far more intense than in the 10.0 bracket.
The opponents he encountered were a bizarre and varied bunch.
There were young geniuses like him who had just been promoted to the second level.
There were also many veterans who were actually Third-level Martial Artists in real life. Their fighting styles were seasoned and vicious. Even with their strength and speed suppressed to the same level, they could still cause Qin Feng immense trouble with their vast experience and exquisite techniques.
Qin Feng endured one bitter battle after another.
There were victories, and there were defeats.
But he was like a sponge, frantically absorbing the experience from every battle. His spear techniques also grew more practiced and condensed through this high-intensity tempering.
Thrust, lift, parry, sweep, bind... These basic techniques no longer had a fixed form in his hands. Every move he made was a killing blow, executed with effortless ease.
The edge of Thousand Soldiers’ Evasion grew ever sharper, the defense of Thousand Soldiers Guarding grew more seamless, and the timing of Flowing Light Chasing Shadow’s strikes became more cunning and vicious.
The afternoon passed in the blink of an eye.
He fought a total of forty-three ranked matches, with twenty-four wins and nineteen losses, maintaining a win rate of around 55%.
His Imperial Arena points also steadily increased from over two hundred to 324.
But his greatest gain was his killing technique’s proficiency.
In one battle against an opponent using dual blades, he fought fiercely until the very last moment. Relying on an exquisite parry with his spear to deflect his opponent’s attack, he followed up with a straight thrust to end the match. At that moment, a mysterious and profound feeling quietly welled up in his heart.
[DING!]
[Your killing technique, Thousand Army Spear, has been tempered through countless battles and has now been thoroughly mastered, reaching a natural state of completion.]
[Current realm has been promoted to: Perfection!]
The system panel refreshed accordingly.
[Killing Technique]:
Thousand Army Spear (Perfection)
[Proficiency]: 1 / 100,000
[Effect]: At the current realm, your control over long weapons is greatly enhanced.