"That’s right! He defeated Ba Yan, he defeated Xiao Beichen, he defeated every opponent he faced! He only lost to ’time,’ lost to the ’rules,’ but he didn’t lose to a single opponent of his ’generation’!"
"He is this year’s true, and only, Newcomer King!"
This title was filled with affirmation, but also carried a hint of regret.
But more than that, it was a pure, heartfelt recognition and admiration for the strong.
It was like a unique medal of honor, bestowed upon Qin Feng by everyone’s own hands.
From then on, a new legend began to circulate at Cannan Star Martial Arts University.
The legend spoke of a man who rose like a Starry Sky Giant Beast in the Newcomer Tournament.
He had been enrolled for ten years, unknown and unheard of.
Once he emerged, he swept aside all the prodigies of his generation with the supreme might of four techniques at the Control Realm. In the end, he stepped on the shoulders of a veteran powerhouse to ascend a throne that wasn’t rightfully his.
Though he did not win the champion’s title, in everyone’s hearts, he was the undisputed—Uncrowned King.
The forums were abuzz with discussion.
In reality, the students of Cannan Star Martial Arts University all had their own pride. Shitposting on the forums was just a way to relieve the anxiety of frantically completing missions and the tedium of cultivation.
No one would actually become a fanatical follower of some genius, unless that genius had literally saved their life.
Most of those who claimed they wanted to become the number one fan of "Qin Beast" were just being ironic. In reality, they were measuring their own strength against his, a strong desire to catch up rising in their hearts!
-----------------
While the outside world’s clamor and fervor were fermenting to a peak on the private forums, the center of the storm, Qin Feng, had long since returned to his cold and absolutely silent private dormitory.
To him, the glory of the outside world was nothing but a fleeting cloud.
He was more concerned with the tangible gains from this Newcomer Tournament.
He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion in the center of his quiet room. Closing his eyes, he quickly replayed the scenes from the past few days of intense battles in his mind.
From his initial clash with Luo Cheng, to the staff-fighting duel with Xiao Beichen, and finally to the peak battle against Ba Yan where he had risked everything.
The details of every battle, the killing moves of every opponent, and his own application and insights into his killing techniques were all repeatedly played, deconstructed, and analyzed in his mind, as if recorded by the most precise instrument.
The battle with Ba Yan, in particular, had affected him the most.
When Ba Yan broke through mid-battle and comprehended [Heart’s Desire Slash], the perfectly unified Intent of "Control" gave him immense inspiration.
As for his own [Dragon’s Hoard], although it had secured victory in a single strike, it also exposed its flaws: a long charge-up time and an overly obvious opening.
An enemy who had faced [Dragon’s Hoard] before would definitely not fall for it so easily.
’Still not proficient enough.’
Qin Feng calmly assessed himself in his heart.
Whether it was [Fierce Owl Chasing Shadow], the recently comprehended [Wind and Thunder Chasing Shadow], or his trump card, [Dragon’s Hoard], they were all just prototypes of "Self-Created Killing Moves." They were still a long way from true perfection.
Once his review was complete, Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze perfectly clear.
With a thought, he opened the Subspace Network communication interface, which had been silent for several days.
Almost the instant he came online.
DING—!
A crisp notification sound chimed, and a conspicuous transfer notice popped up immediately.
The sender was Xiong Yanfu.
[Transfer Notification: User "Blazing Xiong" has transferred 52,000,000 Imperial Coins to you.]
Immediately after, a message from Xiaopang popped up, tinged with excitement and a hint of seeking credit.
[Brother Qin! You got the money, right? Hehe! I took all the profits from my betting pool, plus the winnings from your hundred-thousand principal, for a total of one hundred and four million. We split it fifty-fifty, so this is your share! Not a single coin less!]
[We really hit the jackpot this time! Those guys who bet on Ba Yan are green with regret! HAHAHA, it feels so damn good!]
Looking at the long string of zeros on the light screen, even with Qin Feng’s temperament, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but lift slightly.
Fifty-two million Imperial Coins.
To him now, this sum of money might not even be enough to buy a single basic Spiritual Energy Potion.
But for his family far away on Morning Star, it was a colossal sum, enough for them to live without worrying about food or clothing for the rest of their lives, never again having to struggle for a living.
He could almost see the complex expression on his father’s, Qin Dahai’s, face when he received the money—first shock, then tears streaming down his old cheeks.
A warm current flowed through Qin Feng’s heart.
Without any pretense or hesitation, he directly clicked "Confirm Receipt."
[Transfer received successfully. Your Imperial Coin account balance is: 52,100,000.]
For this gesture of friendship from Xiong Yanfu, any words of thanks would seem too pale.
The best way to repay him was to accept this kindness without reservation.
Sure enough, the second after he confirmed the receipt, another message from Xiong Yanfu came through. He had clearly been waiting online.
This time, however, the tone of the message was no longer joking or triumphant. Instead, it carried a trace of... unprecedented gravity.
[Brother Qin, I’m glad you got the money.]
[Seriously, after watching your match against Senior Ba Yan, I... was really shaken.]
[I used to think that with cultivation, you just had to follow the steps. My talent isn’t bad, so I’d get promoted sooner or later. So I spent most of my time figuring out how to make money and have fun.]
[But today, I realized just how ridiculously wrong I was.]
[I suddenly feel that the life I lived before was too comfortable, too meaningless. To put it simply, I don’t have the same heart for the Martial Dao that you guys do.]
[So, I’ve decided.]
[Starting tomorrow, I’m going to train like crazy.]
[I didn’t even make it into the top one hundred thousand in this Newcomer Tournament. But next time, ten years from now, I hope I’ll be qualified to stand on the stage and fight you fair and square!]
Seeing these heartfelt words from Xiong Yanfu, a gratified smile appeared on Qin Feng’s face.
He knew that deep down, this seemingly cynical and playful fatty also had the pride and fire of a Martial Artist burning within him.
It was just that this fire had long been smothered by a life of comfort.
His own appearance, however, had been like a gust of wind, completely blowing away the layer of settled dust and allowing that fire to blaze brightly once more.
’This is a good thing.’
Qin Feng extended a finger and slowly typed out a reply.
[Keep it up. Let’s encourage each other!]
Just those two phrases, yet they contained the most sincere encouragement and anticipation.
He believed that with Xiong Yanfu’s intelligence and talent, once he truly made up his mind, his future achievements would be absolutely limitless.
Statistically speaking, for a genius like Xiong Yanfu—who came from a wealthy family, lacked no resources, and cultivated an Upper-grade Acupoint Opening Technique—the average promotion time was about thirty years.
This was just the average.
If he could truly fight and strive as he said he would today, and with a bit of good fortune...
Perhaps within twenty years, there was a high probability he could complete the metamorphosis from Grade Four to Grade Five.
The path of the Martial Dao was long and full of variables.
No one could predict what the scene would be like ten years from now.
Qin Feng closed the chat window with Xiong Yanfu, feeling a sincere joy in his heart for his friend’s awakening.