Though the selection of resources here was limited, every single item was top-quality.
There was none of the flashy yet ineffective clutter. Everything on display was a tried-and-true asset, personally vetted by countless Warband veterans for its supreme effectiveness in boosting both combat prowess and cultivation.
For a Level 4 Martial Artist with clear goals, the resources here were more than sufficient, saving them the tedious process of sifting through the sea of information at the Imperial Trading House.
Qin Feng entered another search query.
Special-Grade Spiritual Energy Potion
Internal Warband Exchange Price: 10 Reputation Points per vial
Seeing this price, Qin Feng’s pupils constricted. His mind reeled.
Reputation Points!
Reputation was directly equivalent to Contribution Points!
He immediately understood the deeper implications.
During the "Star Walker-7" mission, their four-person squad had earned a total of 100 Contribution Points. As the leader, Qin Feng had received 40 of them.
But at the same time, each of them had also received an additional 100 Reputation Points!
This meant that for a member of the Fearless Warband, the actual reward for successfully completing a mission was nearly doubled!
’So that’s how it is...’
A flash of understanding crossed Qin Feng’s eyes.
’This isn’t just a simple benefit. It’s a legacy, an investment, a form of subsidy that belongs only to the victors.’
Countless generations of Fearless Warband veterans had, through their merits and sacrifices, built this massive, independent ecosystem of resources.
They had passed down the Warband’s glory and wealth to their successors in the form of "Reputation," allowing every junior member who bled for the Warband and the Empire to receive rewards far exceeding the norm, thus helping them grow faster and become stronger.
This was fundamentally different from the model at Qiming First High School, where the school would directly sign contracts with prodigies and grant them resources unconditionally.
’The Qiming First High School model is one of pure endowment, an upfront investment in talent.’
’The Fearless Warband’s model, however, is about earning what you get.’
’You must first rely on your own Hard Power to fight on the battlefield, complete life-or-death missions, and return alive. Only then can you enjoy these subsidized resources.’
’If you fail a mission, it’s all for nothing. There is no guaranteed base reward for reputation.’
’This model is crueler, yet also fairer. It only crowns the truly strong and the victorious.’
’No wonder the Fearless Warband became the top Warband in Canaan and has flourished for so long.’
Qin Feng was filled with emotion.
This virtuous cycle of fueling war with war, where the strong only grew stronger, was enough to forge any potential prodigy into a true machine of war.
Now that he understood this, he didn’t hesitate any longer and immediately began to execute his plan.
His eyes first fell upon his 100 Reputation Points.
’Senior Brother Baze advised me to wait until my Life Force Index hits 200 before I start considering a Second-level Killing Technique.’
Qin Feng remembered every word from his elite senior.
His current Life Force Index was 70.34, nearly 130 points shy of the 200-point threshold.
Based on his experience cultivating the Great Sun Acupoint Opening Method, successfully opening and filling a single Great Sun Acupoint increased his Life Force Index by approximately 10 points.
’In other words, I’ll need to open at least thirteen, maybe even fourteen, more Great Sun Acupoints to reliably cross the 200-point threshold.’
And opening a single Great Sun Acupoint required one Special-Grade Spiritual Energy Potion and an immense amount of arduous cultivation.
The plan instantly crystallized in his mind.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Qin Feng accessed the Warband’s resource vault and exchanged all 100 of his newly acquired Reputation Points for Special-Grade Spiritual Energy Potions.
[Exchange successful! 100 Reputation Points have been deducted.]
[Item Acquired: Special-Grade Spiritual Energy Potion x10.]
Ten vials of a blue potion, shimmering with a brilliant light, appeared silently inside his Subspace Storage Unit.
With these ten potions as a foundation, Qin Feng was confident he could push his Life Force Index all the way to 110 during his next session of secluded cultivation!
Having spent his Reputation Points, his attention turned to his remaining 71 Contribution Points.
He didn’t look at any more Spiritual Energy Potions. Instead, he opened the "Cultivation Technique Manuals" section of the Warband resource vault.
Another piece of Senior Brother Baze’s advice echoed in his mind—
"Your ’arsenal of killing techniques’ is far too limited... You should aim for at least ten to start."
Qin Feng deeply agreed.
The only techniques he had currently mastered were the Thousand Army Spear and the Vicious Bird Fist. Although he had mastered both to the Control Realm, their styles were heavily skewed toward grand, powerful movements and cunning, vicious surprise attacks.
When facing certain situations, such as defensive maneuvers or prolonged engagements, he found his options severely limited.
He needed to expand his arsenal of killing techniques.
Under Hammer’s guidance, a particularly suitable spear technique caught Qin Feng’s eye.
Prairie Fire Hundred Strikes, Pear Blossom Storm Spear, Thunderbolt Spear Technique, Dragon Snake Spear...
Ultimately, his gaze was completely captured by a technique named Dragon Snake Spear.
[Cultivation Technique: Dragon Snake Spear]
[Type: First-level Killing Technique]
[Description: This spear technique combines the fierce, domineering power of the dragon with the sinuous, fluid grace of the snake. Strikes are like a dragon: grand, sweeping, and unstoppable. Movements are like a snake: coiling, weaving, and exploiting every opening. When cultivated to a high level, the user can switch between hard and soft styles at will, making it equally adept at both outright assault and entangling combat.]
[Killing Blows: Divine Dragon’s Tail Sweep, Viper’s Strike, Dragon-Snake Assault]