Such mental fortitude and perseverance were exceedingly rare among a group of proud, hot-blooded youths.
After marveling at the vast differences between individuals, Xiong Yanfu took the initiative to change the subject, bringing up another key issue that everyone had to face.
"All right, all right. Let’s stop trying to compare ourselves to a monster like Qin Feng. We’re not in the same league."
He waved his hand, his expression growing serious. "Let’s talk about something important. What are your thoughts on joining a Student Warband?"
At the mention of "Student Warbands," the faces of Lei Meng and Tie Mu also grew thoughtful.
Xiong Yanfu cleared his throat and began to lay out his analysis for the group.
"Over the past few days, I’ve scoured the forums, reading every post there is about Student Warbands. Broadly speaking, as freshmen, we’re facing two choices."
"The first option, which is what the vast majority of people choose, is to join a pre-existing, powerful Warband run by upperclassmen."
He held up one finger.
"The advantages of this are obvious. First off, the more powerful the Warband, the better its internal atmosphere and the more abundant its resources.
We can support and be supported by the upperclassmen in the Warband, teaming up to take on high-difficulty, high-reward missions that are impossible to complete alone.
Second, the prestige we earn by completing missions for the Warband can be directly converted into Contribution Points from the Warband’s public account, according to a set ratio.
I’ve asked around. The public accounts for those top-tier Warbands are maintained by donations from legendary alumni across generations—people who have already ventured into the Star Sea, or have reached even higher realms. The amount of Contribution Points in there is astronomical!"
"The second option..."
He paused, his tone becoming a little mischievous. "Is for us to create a brand-new Warband ourselves."
"However, this path is extremely difficult. First, you need unparalleled prestige and personal charisma to attract enough powerful members.
Second, you’d also need to pour a massive amount of time and energy into managing the Warband and hustling for its growth.
You could say that if someone chooses to become the Marshal of a new Warband, they won’t be able to devote at least half of their time to their own training."
Having laid out the pros and cons, Xiong Yanfu stated his own position clearly.
"I’m choosing to join an existing, powerful Warband. After all, our primary goal here is to increase our own strength. As for creating our own Warband... that’s just a pipe dream. It would interfere with our training too much. The costs would far outweigh the benefits."
He added, "Besides, I’ve heard that the top 100 Warbands set up entrance assessments to recruit promising freshmen like us. If we can pass, we get a reward of Contribution Points right away. For us right now, that’s a huge temptation."
"I agree."
Tie Mu gave a curt nod.
"Same here!"
Lei Meng immediately chimed in.
Finally, the gazes of all three fell upon Qin Feng.
Qin Feng gave a slight nod. He was of the same mind.
He would unhesitatingly discard anything that might compromise the efficiency of his training.
He had no interest in a thankless task like creating a Warband.
"Great! Then we’re all in agreement!"
Seeing this, Xiong Yanfu slapped the table in excitement.
"If we’re all going to join a Warband, then let’s aim for the very best! I’m targeting the top one hundred Warbands! The entrance assessment will definitely be tough, but like I said, there’s a reward just for passing!
Besides, reputation is everything. Those top Warbands have high prestige and are very active, which will make it much easier to find missions and form teams later on. If we get lucky, we might even get taken under the wing of a powerful upperclassman. That would be a huge score!"
This proposal was, once again, met with unanimous agreement.
They got right to it.
Qin Feng immediately opened his personal terminal and pulled up the "Student Warband Rankings" for Cannan Star Martial Arts University.
A list shimmering with golden light, exuding an aura of Iron Blood and glory, immediately materialized before him.
Without the slightest hesitation, his gaze locked onto the legendary name that topped the list.
Then, he extended his finger and pressed the "Apply to Join" button.
[Warband Name: Fearless Warband]
[Warband Rank: No.1]
[Date Founded: 2.2 billion years ago (At the inception of Cannan Star Martial Arts University)]
[Warband Motto: Only the fearless can attain eternal life!]
...
The moment Qin Feng’s application was submitted,
a cold, mechanically-toned automated reply was instantly delivered to his inbox.
[The Fearless Warband Admissions Office has received your application.]
[After a preliminary screening, your qualifications meet the recruitment standards of this Warband.]
[Please proceed to the "Fearless" sector of campus within seven Imperial Days to participate in this Warband’s official admission assessment.]
[Failure to attend within the deadline will be regarded as forfeiture.]
[—To be Fearless is both an honor and a responsibility.]