...
Meanwhile, in another, more spacious, high-level Martial Arts Room.
Seven or eight third-year seniors were gathered here.
In the center of the room, Feng Ruyun was engaged in a combat sparring session with another senior.
Feng Ruyun wielded a Horse-Slaying Saber. His saber technique was sharp and domineering, and every slash cut through the air with a heavy whoosh.
His opponent did his best to block but was steadily forced to retreat.
"Brother Feng’s Blazing Flame Saber technique has improved again! It feels like he’s not far from the Realm of Control!"
"Yeah, he’s too strong! With Brother Feng’s power, next year’s ’Qiming General Star’ title is absolutely in the bag!"
The seniors watching from the side chimed in with compliments and praise.
A few minutes later, the sparring session ended.
Feng Ruyun sheathed his saber and stood tall. His breathing was steady, and a confident smile touched his lips.
He looked at Sun He, who had just walked in, and asked gently, "Ah He, did you need me for something?"
Sun He nodded, glanced at the others around them, and seemed to hesitate.
"It’s fine. We’re all brothers here. Just say what’s on your mind."
Feng Ruyun said nonchalantly.
Sun He took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and said in a low voice, "Brother Feng, I came to persuade you about something."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Give up on next year’s ’Qiming General Star’."
Sun He said, enunciating every word. "Apply for graduation now. You can still make it to the last round of entrance exams for the Starry Sky Martial Arts Universities this year. There’s no need to wait another year. With your strength, you could even compete for a spot at Cannan Star Martial Arts University."
As soon as he said this, the entire Martial Arts Room fell silent.
Everyone’s astonished gazes fell on Sun He.
The smile on Feng Ruyun’s face froze. He frowned and asked, confused, "Ah He, what are you talking about? Why should I give up?"
"Yeah, Sun He! What kind of joke is this?"
Another senior couldn’t help but chime in, "Brother Feng’s life force index has already reached 30.0! And he’s mastered two Perfect Killing Skills, the Blazing Flame Saber Technique and the Iron Wall Fist Technique! He’s definitely the strongest contender for next year’s ’Qiming General Star’! You know how prestigious that honor is. How can you just tell him to give it up?"
Everyone thought Sun He’s words were incomprehensible.
Sun He looked at their confused faces and said with a bitter smile, "Because Qin Feng will be participating in next year’s competition."
"I know he’ll be participating."
Feng Ruyun’s expression darkened. "Are you saying you think I’m no match for him?"
"No, that’s not what I mean."
Sun He explained hastily, stammering, "I’m just afraid... afraid..."
"Afraid he’ll defeat me? That I’ll have wasted a whole year for nothing?"
Hearing this, Feng Ruyun suddenly burst out laughing, as if he’d just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.
The other seniors also started to laugh.
"Ah He, did that kid knock your brain loose?"
One senior teased, "He’s just a freshman who’s only been here for four months. Even if he won the rookie king title and had some lucky encounter, there’s no way he could pose a threat to Brother Feng next year, right?"
"Exactly!"
Another person chimed in, "You couldn’t beat him because his strength surged right after he got the rookie king reward, and he caught you off guard. But to win the ’Qiming General Star’ in his second year? Something like that has never happened before!"
They all thought Sun He was only trying to persuade them because he had become friendly with Qin Feng.
Sun He looked at their dismissive smiles and opened his mouth, wanting to explain Qin Feng’s unreasonably monstrous strength.
But Feng Ruyun waved his hand, stopping him.
Feng Ruyun’s expression had turned completely cold. His gaze grew sharp as a knife as he stared intently at Sun He.
"I, Feng Ruyun, was first on the Qiming Star entrance exam. First in the first monthly test. I advanced to the second year in two months. After three months, I participated in my first Qiming School-Level League and won rookie king of that year. The second time I participated, I made it to the top 500 in the senior competition. The third time, I reached the top ten, only to narrowly miss out on the General Star title due to bad luck..."
"With a record like mine, I still need to participate in the Qiming School-Level League a fourth time to be confident in taking the General Star title."
"And you think Qin Feng can take the General Star on his second try? His record is no different from mine!"
Feng Ruyun took a deep breath and patted Sun He’s shoulder.
"Ah He, we are brothers who have faced life and death together. So I’ll just assume you’re talking nonsense today."
"But if you dare say such things again and disturb my Martial Arts Heart..."
"...then I would rather not have you as a friend."
The icy words made Sun He’s heart sink.
He knew that if he continued, he would only infuriate Feng Ruyun and destroy their friendship.
Sun He could only shut his mouth and swallow all the words he wanted to say.
He sighed helplessly in his heart.
He knew that in Feng Ruyun’s eyes, his attempt at persuasion was an insult to his strength.
But the reason he had risked his friend’s resentment, and even the end of their friendship, to say these words was precisely because he considered Feng Ruyun a true brother.
Back then, during the senior competition, it was Feng Ruyun who had stood up for him at all costs, beating a student from Golden Dragon Martial High School to death in the ring to avenge him.
He had always carried that debt of gratitude in his heart.
That was why he didn’t want to see his proud friend run into the hopelessly high wall that was Qin Feng on that highly anticipated stage next year.
’Because that guy... is a genuine, out-and-out monster!’
Qin Feng had no idea that after he left, Sun He, because of his words, had risked a falling out with his best friend to undertake a persuasion attempt that was doomed to fail.
Right now, he was immersed in his own unshakeable training rhythm.
That night, when the last trace of his Mental Power was depleted by the circulation of the Emperor Meditation Technique, Qin Feng finished his day’s training.
He didn’t go to sleep immediately. Instead, he sat on the floor of his private Martial Arts Room, quietly reviewing his progress.
The benefits of his Gold-Standard Human II physical aptitude were obvious.
His strength, speed, and training efficiency had all taken a comprehensive, qualitative leap.
But at the same time, a new problem had also emerged.
He discovered that his consumption rate of all kinds of resources containing Spiritual Energy had become abnormally fast.
A Mid-Level Spiritual Energy Potion, which an ordinary Second Level Martial Artist would need several days to fully absorb, he could drain of all its energy in a single day. A high-level one would only last a few days longer.
A single Grade B Energy Meal could barely make him feel full.
Simply put, his "engine" was too powerful, which meant its "fuel consumption" was also astonishingly high.
’At my current rate of consumption, the monthly Grade B contract resources provided by the academy are just barely enough.’
’If my Intermediate Imperial Body Refining Method reaches Perfection and I undergo my second life evolution, then go to the Qiming Thunder Pool to raise my physical aptitude to Gold-Standard Human III... by then, the Grade B contract resources probably won’t be nearly enough.’
Qin Feng calculated silently in his mind.
Increasing one’s life force index was like building a ship, and one’s physical potential was the quality of the ship’s blueprint. The stronger the ship, the more Spiritual Resources would naturally be needed to build it.
’Looks like I still need to find a way to accumulate points. I either need to upgrade my resource contract to Grade A, or I can directly use the points to exchange for the resources I need at the school’s exchange center.’
He glanced at his data panel again. His life force index had already reached 19.82.
’At this rate, I should be able to break the 20.0 barrier in two or three days at most.’
He thought for a moment, then activated the wrist-mounted terminal that was his Subspace Network Pass, preparing to contact Teacher Lin Yue to apply for leave to go to the Qiming Thunder Pool ahead of schedule.
However, just as his finger touched Lin Yue’s contact icon, a message he had just received from her automatically popped up.
It was a mission briefing in a very formal format.
[Mission Codename: Meat Grinder]
[Mission Level: Grade A (Long-term)]
[Mission Location: Cadia Star Zone, Purgatory-VII Planet]
[Mission Background: The Empire’s war against the Green-skinned Orcs on Purgatory-VII Planet has been ongoing for 150 years. The entire planet has become a war-torn meat grinder. Countless Green Skins follow their "Waaagh!" instinct in battle, growing stronger the more they fight. The Empire needs its bravest Warriors to travel to this planet, hunt down the Green-skinned Strongmen, and curb the expansion of their Combat Power.]
[Mission Objective: Free hunt.]
[Point Reward Rules:]
[- Kill a Level 1 Green Skin (Life Force below 10.0): No point reward.]
[- Kill a Level 2 Green Skin (Life Force 10.0-20.0): 10 points per kill.]
[- Kill a Level 3 Green Skin (Life Force 20.0-30.0): 100 points per kill.]
[- Note: The promotion standard for a Grade A contract is 10,000 points.]
[Start Time: Ten days from now.]
Staring at the mission briefing, which reeked of blood and fire, Qin Feng’s gaze sharpened.
A Grade A contract required ten thousand points.
According to the mission’s reward rules, that meant he would need to single-handedly slay one hundred Level 3 Green Skins with a life force index above 20.0.
The difficulty of that was, to say the least, immense.
Qin Feng thought for a moment before replying directly to the message.
[Qin Feng]: Teacher Lin, message received. Before the mission begins, I’d like to apply to go to the Qiming Thunder Pool to improve my physical aptitude.
Less than ten seconds after he sent the message, Lin Yue’s reply arrived.
[Lin Yue]: Approved. The next round of access to the Qiming Thunder Pool opens tomorrow and will last for seven days. You’ll have enough time. Meet on the top floor of Beikai Tower at eight o’clock tomorrow morning. I’ll take you there.
"Okay."
Qin Feng replied with a single word and closed the terminal.
His plans had changed slightly because of this sudden mission.
’If I leave tomorrow, my life force index probably won’t reach 20.0, which means the second life evolution won’t be triggered.’
’But a small ship is easy to turn. There’s no need to stick rigidly to the original plan.’
Qin Feng had a good mentality about it.
’Perhaps if I raise my physical aptitude to Gold-Standard Human III first, and then trigger the life evolution provided by the panel, the two effects might stack and produce an unexpected result... maybe even let me surpass human limits?’
A bold speculation surfaced in his mind.
After all, he still didn’t know what effect the [Life Evolution] provided by the system panel actually had.
Since that was the case, he would just let things take their natural course.
First, the Qiming Thunder Pool, then the life evolution.