...
「The next morning.」
Qin Feng arrived punctually at the rooftop terrace of Beikai Tower.
Lin Yue was already waiting for him. Today, she wasn’t wearing power armor but a sleek, black Combat Suit that further accentuated her tall and powerful figure.
Beside her was a small, silver aircraft with a streamlined design, exuding a sci-fi aesthetic.
"Let’s go."
Lin Yue was a woman of few words, leading the way into the aircraft.
The aircraft’s interior was small, with only four seats.
After Lin Yue set the destination, it entered autopilot mode, silently ascending into the air. It became a silver streak and vanished over the horizon.
"The Qiming Thunder Pool is a dangerous place on Qiming Star, but it’s also a treasure trove."
Inside the aircraft, Lin Yue took the initiative to explain things to Qin Feng.
"It’s located at the summit of Thunder Mountain, the highest peak on Qiming Star, at an altitude of 8,900 meters. The area is perpetually shrouded in violent thunderclouds. It can only be entered safely during the seven days each month when the magnetic field is at its most stable."
"Within the Thunder Pool, countless ages of being tempered by lightning have formed a large number of natural ’Thunder Crystals.’ A Thunder Crystal is the product of Spiritual Energy converging in a specific sequence under extreme pressure and a unique magnetic field. Its energy is incredibly violent. It can directly act on a lifeform’s fundamental genetic structure, cleansing impurities and enhancing potential. For a Martial Artist, it is an unparalleled treasure for refining one’s physical aptitude."
"That stuff must be pretty valuable, right?"
Qin Feng asked.
"Of course."
Lin Yue nodded. "A single entry ticket to the Qiming Thunder Pool costs ten million Imperial Coins plus three hundred Imperial Contribution Points on the official exchange. Usually, it’s powerful Martial Artists who purchase them for the most outstanding younger members of their families."
Ten million Imperial Coins, plus three hundred contribution points!
Qin Feng’s heart clenched.
He knew without even thinking that Imperial Contribution Points were far more difficult to obtain than Imperial Coins.
The value of this opportunity far exceeded his imagination.
As they spoke, the aircraft arrived at its destination.
Looking out the porthole, a magnificent vista unfolded before his eyes.
An endless range of snow-capped mountains spread out below them like a silver ocean.
And at the edge of his vision, a colossal peak whose majesty defied description stood like a sharp sword piercing the heavens, thrusting straight into the clouds.
The summit of the giant peak was crowned by a layer of thunderclouds as thick and dark as ink. Electric serpents danced within, and flashes of purple lightning appeared from time to time, as if gods and demons were roaring inside, radiating a terrifying aura of utter destruction.
The aircraft slowly descended, landing outside a large encampment at the base of Thunder Mountain.
As he stepped out of the aircraft, a rush of thin air, mixed with the scent of ice, snow, and ozone, hit him in the face.
Qin Feng looked up at the giant peak shrouded in thunderclouds, feeling the immense pressure originating from the natural world, and couldn’t help but sigh in awe.
"It’s like the work of the gods."
Standing beside him, Lin Yue just smiled faintly at his words.
"When you truly set foot into the Star Sea in the future, you’ll see wonders even more magnificent than this."
Her gaze seemed to pierce through the clouds, looking into the endless depths of space. "The dream-like splendor of the Creation Nebula, the distorted spacetime of a black hole’s lensing effect, the feast of light and heat from a supernova’s explosion... The wonders of the Cosmos far exceed your imagination."
"Yeah."
Qin Feng nodded emphatically, his eyes filled with longing.
Lin Yue led him to the encampment entrance, where they verified their identities and ticket information with the fully armed staff before being allowed to enter.
Inside the encampment, quite a few people had already gathered—at a rough glance, at least a hundred or so.
They were distinctly separated into dozens of small groups.
Each group consisted of one or two High-level Martial Artists with unfathomably deep auras, leading one or several young boys and girls.
Those High-level Martial Artists exuded a powerful, oppressive feeling with every movement.
But Qin Feng could sense that the vast majority of them were much weaker than Teacher Lin Yue.
As for the young boys and girls they had brought, their strengths were even more varied.
The strongest among them had a life force index that had only just reached 20.0.
Most hovered around 10.0, and there were even a few who looked to be only at the level of a First-level Martial Artist.
Some of them were students from other Martial Arts High Schools on Qiming Star. Some had even already graduated from a Martial Arts High School and were here with their parents.
’Any student from Qiming First High School would be an absolute standout among their peers.’ For the first time, Qin Feng had such a direct understanding of his own school’s strength.
Just as he was observing his surroundings, a voice tinged with surprise and uncertainty suddenly called out from nearby.
"Qin... Qin Feng?"
Qin Feng followed the voice and saw a familiar face. He was stunned for a moment, then broke into a smile.
It was his middle school classmate, Zhou Heyuan.
At that moment, Zhou Heyuan was standing with a few other boys and girls around his age.
He was much taller and sturdier than he’d been in middle school, and his face had a maturity that spoke of weathering storms. Clearly, he was now a Martial Artist who had been on the battlefield and had even taken lives.
Upon seeing Qin Feng, Zhou Heyuan froze for a long moment. After confirming he wasn’t mistaken, he rushed over, overjoyed.
"Qin Feng! Holy crap! It really is you!"
He gave Qin Feng a heavy bear hug, his face beaming with the joy of their reunion.
After a moment of pleasantries, Zhou Heyuan pulled Qin Feng over and excitedly introduced him to his companions. "See! I told you I wasn’t bragging! This is my middle school classmate I was telling you about, the ’Qiming Newcomer King’ of this year’s Qimingxing Inter-School League—Qin Feng!"
Hearing this, the boys and girls behind him all showed looks of shock and admiration.
"Holy crap! Heyuan, he’s really your classmate! I thought you were just bragging to us all this time!"
one of the boys exclaimed.
"My idol! I’m actually seeing my idol in the flesh!"
A girl’s eyes lit up, her face flushing red with excitement.
Listening to his companions’ exclamations, Zhou Heyuan beamed with immense pride. He laughed heartily and clapped Qin Feng on the shoulder. "I told you! I, Zhou Heyuan, never lie! The Qiming Newcomer King is my classmate! Back in the day, when our life force indexes were both less than 1.0, we trained together at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall!"
After he finished showing off, he asked expectantly, "By the way, Qin Feng, how strong are you now? Let me tell you, I’ve made huge progress these past two months. My life force index is already at 8.9!"
Qin Feng looked at his expression, which was practically begging for praise, and said with a smile, "I’m doing okay. A little under 20.0."
"..."
The smile on Zhou Heyuan’s face instantly froze.
His eyes widened as if he’d just heard the most incredible fairy tale. He stammered, "A-A little under twenty? You mean, like, nineteen-point-something?!"
"Yeah."
Their conversation wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone nearby to hear.
In an instant, the gazes of all the dozens of small groups in the encampment focused squarely on Qin Feng.
"So he’s that ’Qiming Newcomer King,’ Qin Feng?"
"I heard he comes from a humble background, with no connections. He fought his way up all on his own. What a beast!"
"In less than four months, he went from an ordinary freshman to being able to defeat a top-tier sophomore, and now his life force index is almost 20.0... That level of talent is terrifying."
Admiration, curiosity, scrutiny, envy... a mixture of gazes converged on him.
Many of the High-level Martial Artists who had brought their own juniors along were now unabashedly using Qin Feng as a living example.
"Look at him! Now look at you! How many resources have we fed you since you were a child? And what’s your life force now? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?!"
"Learn from him! That’s what a true genius is! He relies on his own hard work and struggle, not his family!"
"If you were half as hardworking as Qin Feng, you’d have been a Second Level Martial Artist long ago! All you know how to do is slack off every day!"
For a moment, the encampment was filled with the sounds of scolding from parents who wished their children were better. The once-proud "second-generation martial artists" all lowered their heads, looking at the calm boy surrounded by everyone with a mixture of respect and awe.
They had all watched the Qiming School-Level League and knew just how formidable Qin Feng was.
Putting aside everything else, it was rare to see any of the young people present who had even achieved minor mastery of a killing technique, whereas Qin Feng had already achieved grand mastery during the league tournament!
* * *
Just as Qin Feng’s appearance was causing a commotion in the encampment, a staff member in a silver-gray uniform with a steady aura walked onto a high platform in the center of the camp.
His voice carried clearly to everyone’s ears.
"Everyone, please be quiet. I am the person in charge of this opening of the Qiming Thunder Pool. Before the Thunder Pool officially opens, I need to explain a few crucial points."
The noisy encampment fell silent in an instant. All eyes turned to the high platform.
"Later, once the magnetic field at the summit of Thunder Mountain stabilizes and the thunderclouds dissipate, dedicated guides will lead all qualified Trial Takers up Thunder Mountain and into the Qiming Thunder Pool."
"I need to emphasize the first and most important point."
The staff member’s tone became extremely serious. "The ’Thunder Crystals’ in the Qiming Thunder Pool possess incredibly violent energy. Every Trial Taker has a different physical aptitude and strength of Will, so the number of Thunder Crystals you can withstand will also be completely different. During the absorption process, if you feel that your body or mind has reached its limit and you can’t go on, you must immediately inform the guide beside you! They will remove you from the Thunder Pool at once. Remember—immediately! Otherwise, you risk irreversible damage, and it could even be life-threatening!"
His sharp gaze swept over every boy and girl present as he stressed, "This is not a joke. Trying to act tough in the Thunder Pool is the same as committing suicide!"
This stern warning made many of the young faces in the crowd tense up subconsciously. Their relaxed and carefree expressions vanished, replaced by solemnity.
The staff member then pointed to a huge, black Stone Stele next to the encampment, which stood over ten meters tall.
The Stone Stele was carved from some unknown type of rock. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror, and against the snowy ground, it appeared ancient and solemn.
Countless golden names were densely engraved on the Stone Stele, each followed by a number.