Moreover, they all knew that no one admitted to Canaan Star Martial Arts University was weak.
Meanwhile, Shi Potian sized up Lei Meng and the other two, the aloofness in his gaze receding slightly.
He, too, understood the weight behind Qin Feng’s words—a life-and-death bond forged by crawling out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood together.
This meant that the three men before him were partners he could truly trust—allies to whom he could entrust his back.
"Hello."
True to his nature as a man of few words, Shi Potian simply gave the three a slight nod by way of greeting.
"Hey, hello!"
Xiong Yanfu immediately shot to his feet, greeting him enthusiastically. "You must be Brother Shi, right? Please, sit! I’ve heard Qin Feng mention a genius from his high school days who was both a friend and a rival. Seeing you today, you really live up to the hype! Come on, come on, sit here next to me!"
Shi Potian didn’t stand on ceremony, taking the seat Xiong Yanfu had made for him.
The atmosphere in the private room didn’t grow awkward with the arrival of a new face.
Everyone present abided by a simple, fundamental law: respect the strong.
Anyone acknowledged by Qin Feng and invited to this dinner was bound to have something extraordinary about them.
Their personalities might differ, but they shared a tacit understanding and respect rooted in strength.
Besides, Lei Meng and Xiong Yanfu were both masters at livening up the atmosphere.
After a few cups of "Ice Soul Wine," brewed from the blood of the "Ice Silkworm," the conversation began to flow freely.
"Seriously, Brother Shi,"
Lei Meng drained his cup in one gulp and looked at Shi Potian curiously. "We’ve known the Boss for years, but we have no idea what he was like in high school. You were his classmate. Come on, give us the gossip—was he always this much of a freak?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Xiong Yanfu’s face was also alight with curiosity.
Tiemu didn’t say anything, but he quietly perked up his ears, clearly just as interested in the topic.
Under the weight of their three expectant gazes, a rare, complex expression surfaced on Shi Potian’s usually stone-cold face—a mixture of reminiscence and deep emotion.
He raised his wine cup, took a sip, and finally spoke. His voice was cool and detached, yet it carried an air of unquestionable certainty.
"A freak?"
Shi Potian shook his head, as if feeling the word wasn’t nearly enough to describe him.
He paused, then used a more precise term. "He’s not a freak. From the first day I met him, he was a complete and utter monster."
"Oh?"
The three of them were instantly intrigued, even putting down their chopsticks.
"You all should know what the title of ’General Star’ means to a Martial Arts High School student."
Shi Potian didn’t jump straight into the story, instead choosing to first lay the groundwork.
"Of course we know!"
Xiong Yanfu immediately chimed in.
Shi Potian’s gaze fell upon Qin Feng, who was quietly eating beside him, the complex look in his eyes deepening.
"I once thought my training speed was already astoundingly fast. But I was wrong."
"When he enrolled, his vitality index wasn’t even 1.5; he had barely scraped past the admission cutoff for Qi Yi High School. But from that day forward, this ’monster’ began a journey of growth that defied all logic."
Shi Potian took a deep breath, as if trying to compose himself.
"One year and three months."
He held up a single finger.
"From the day he stepped through the gates of Qiming First High School, it took him only one year and three months to defeat every opponent with a single move in the grand finals of the inter-school tournament and claim the title of ’Qiming’s General Star’. After that, he immediately applied for graduation and came to Canaan."
Silence.
The private room was plunged into a strange silence.
The smiles on the faces of Lei Meng, Xiong Yanfu, and Tiemu all froze.
’One year and three months?’
’He spent three years in high school, yet in less than half that time, he achieved the ultimate goal that others—even other geniuses—spend their entire high school careers chasing?’
’What kind of concept was that?’
’The word "genius" was no longer enough to describe that.’
A bitter smile touched Shi Potian’s lips—the complex smile of someone who has been utterly crushed, a mixture of helplessness, indignation, and finally, acceptance.
"When I enrolled, my goal was to earn the General Star title within three years. In the end, I competed in the school tournament four separate times, giving it my absolute all. It took me four years, and I only finally won the title—a title he had long since discarded—three years after he had already graduated."
With that, he raised his wine cup and drained it in one go, as if to swallow whole the memory of those years spent living in the "monster’s" shadow.
"Taking the General Star title in just one year and three months... you should all understand what that implies. He’s an absolute monster!"
Shi Potian said with deep feeling.
Lei Meng sucked in a sharp breath, and the way he looked at Qin Feng changed completely.
Xiong Yanfu and Tiemu exchanged a look, both seeing the undisguised shock in the other’s eyes.
They finally understood how Qin Feng had managed to stand out in that brutal freshman assessment, and how, as a new student, he had made such a huge name for himself in just a few short years.
Yin Jing, Zou Yun, and even their senior, Qin Lan, all held him in high esteem. Many of the new Martial Artists also deeply respected him.
After the brief shock, a raging Battle Intent reignited in Shi Potian’s long-dormant eyes.
He stared directly at Qin Feng, his eyes filled with a pure, fervent desire to catch up to him on the path of the Martial Dao.
"Qin Feng!"
Shi Potian looked at Qin Feng excitedly, his eyes full of anticipation. "You enrolled here a full three years before me. In all that time, you surely haven’t stopped for a moment!"