While the shocking analytical report from the "Hidden Dragon Rankings" was spreading like wildfire throughout the Glory Colosseum, Qin Feng had already calmly walked to the center of the arena.
The uproar he’d caused outside seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever.
’My journey in the Newcomer Tournament can finally come to a satisfying end.’
Third place.
Three thousand Contribution Points.
’The goal I set before the tournament has been achieved.’
’As for the finals...’
Qin Feng looked up, his gaze seeming to pierce the dome of the Glory Colosseum. He saw the names hanging at the very top of the bracket—two names that were like insurmountable Divine Mountains.
Zheng Dong, life force index 3120, enrolled for ninety-three years.
Zhou Run, life force index 3080, enrolled for one hundred and two years.
’He knew perfectly well that with his current strength, he stood no chance against these two "old monsters" who had been cultivating the Top-grade Acupoint Opening Technique for nearly a century.’
’That wasn’t a gap that could be closed by Slaughter Realm or Combat Wisdom alone.’
’It was an absolute, crushing chasm originating from a fundamental difference in their level of life.’
’Forcing a fight would be pointless. It would only waste everyone’s time and get me seriously injured again.’
Having come to this realization, a relieved smile appeared on Qin Feng’s face.
He turned, faced the figure of the referee on the high platform—the one who held the highest authority for this match—and spoke in a clear voice.
"Referee."
"I am voluntarily forfeiting the upcoming matches."
"The finals belong to the ultimate showdown between Senior Zheng Dong and Senior Zhou Run."
"My strength is lacking, so I won’t waste everyone’s valuable time."
His words were modest, yet carried an unquestionable frankness.
It was the most rational and carefree choice, one made after clearly recognizing the gap between himself and his opponents.
After a brief, dead silence, no boos or doubts rose from the audience.
Instead, what followed was well-intentioned laughter filled with understanding and admiration, along with thunderous applause!
"Well said! That’s the mark of a true expert!"
"He knows his own limits! Poised and confident!"
"That’s right! Rather than watch a one-sided stomp with no suspense, I’m more excited to see what kind of earth-shattering sparks will fly between those two ’century-old monsters’!"
"Qin Feng! Well done! Even though you forfeited, in our hearts, you’re already this year’s Uncrowned King of the Newcomer Tournament!"
The applause was endless.
At that moment, Qin Feng’s carefree figure and Ba Yan’s poised back in defeat slowly overlapped in everyone’s minds.
Victory is certainly gratifying.
But the courage to attempt the impossible and the wisdom to know not to are equally worthy of respect.
Hearing the roaring tsunami of applause, Qin Feng felt little stir in his heart.
In that moment, his thoughts seemed to travel back through the barrier of time and space, returning to eleven years ago.
Back to Morning Star.
Back to the arena of that equally anticipated inter-school league grand finals.
He remembered that he had been about to face Lei Yi in the final showdown.
Shi Potian, just like him now, had calmly walked to the center of the arena.
Using almost the exact same words, he had calmly announced his voluntary withdrawal, stopping at third place.
He said he wanted to leave the most spectacular stage for the most climactic duel.
He said he didn’t want to waste everyone’s time.
’Back then, I was the one standing under the brilliant spotlight, the center of everyone’s attention.’
’And Shi Potian, amid the applause, had silently yielded the stage to me.’
Before Qin Feng’s eyes, the aloof and pure figure of Shi Potian from all those years ago seemed to materialize.
In the blink of an eye, eleven whole years had passed.
Time flowed on, and things were no longer the same.
Now, he too had become the one to calmly exit the stage amidst applause.
’History really does repeat itself.’
The corners of Qin Feng’s mouth couldn’t help but curl into a complex arc, a smile mixed with emotion, reminiscence, and an endless fighting spirit.
’However...’
His gaze once again fell upon the empty final-match arena, his eyes growing incredibly deep and resolute.
’Next time...’
’The championship title will absolutely be mine. Even if Seniors Zheng Dong and Zhou Run are still hogging the spot, I will challenge them!’
He made a vow to himself in his heart.
For the Top-grade Acupoint Opening Technique, the average cultivation time for a Level 4 Martial Artist in the Empire is one hundred years.
But his goal, Qin Feng’s goal, was to walk the path that took others a century in just thirty years!
After giving another standard military salute to the referee and the entire audience, Qin Feng’s figure slowly vanished in a flash of teleportation light.
...
When he returned to the spectator stands, he was greeted by the excited and proud smiling faces of his friends.
"Boss! Fucking amazing! So fucking amazing!"
The bald Lei Meng was the first to rush over. He wrapped Qin Feng in a bear hug, so excited he was babbling. "Third place! You got third place! Holy shit! I knew you could do it, but this still feels like a dream!"
"Old Qin, I knew you could do it!"
Xiong Yanfu was also flushed with excitement. He waved his personal terminal and said with a smug grin, "I made a killing on that bet! Don’t worry, you’ll get your half, down to the last cent!"
Tie Mu and Yin Jing didn’t speak. They just silently gave Qin Feng a thumbs-up, their eyes filled with an admiration that was plain to see.