He had faced the Void Jellyfish, which excelled at psychic assaults, holding fast to his convictions with the Will of his Emperor’s Meditation and forcefully crushing them.
He had encountered the metal-manipulating Mechanical Race Sentinels, using the Dragon Snake Spear’s unpredictable footwork to navigate a storm of metal and strike directly at their heart.
He had also been trapped in the endless illusions of the "Illusion Butterflies," ultimately relying on his formidable Will to see through the deception and turn the tables.
He had come to treat the Canaan Tower as the perfect training ground for honing his combat techniques.
Every battle was an opportunity to test and refine his Martial Dao.
In the crucible of high-intensity combat, his four Control Realm combat techniques grew increasingly fluid and masterful.
This was especially true for the newly learned Wind and Thunder Long Staff; his mastery of it was improving at a visibly rapid rate.
The fifteenth floor...
The twentieth floor...
The twenty-fifth floor...
Qin Feng’s pace through the tower was outrageously fast.
Before the thirtieth floor, practically no Gatekeeper could last more than ten moves against him.
Most were dispatched cleanly within three moves.
Finally, he cleared the thirtieth floor. After using a charged counterattack from his Dragon’s Hoard technique to run a Believer of Khorne—with a life force index of 570—through with his long spear, he set foot on the stairs to the thirty-first floor.
[You have cleared the thirtieth floor. Reward: 50 Contribution Points.]
The system notification lifted Qin Feng’s spirits.
’I guess each of the first hundred floors gives a reward of 50 Contribution Points,’ he thought. ’The amount will probably only increase after floor one hundred.’
[Entering... Canaan Tower, Thirty-First Floor.]
The scene before him shifted once again.
This time, he found himself on a rocky plain suffused with a heavy, oppressive air.
The ground was grayish-brown and hard as iron.
Upon the plain stood a massive rock throne, one that seemed an extension of the earth itself.
A tremendously burly figure was seated upon the throne.
It was a humanoid creature composed entirely of dark golden rock. Standing over four meters tall, its gnarled muscles radiated explosive power.
Its body was covered in profound and ancient golden patterns, like the very laws of nature etched into its form.
Merely by sitting there, it exuded a terrifying aura—as profound as an abyss and as immovable as a mountain, an unshakeable presence that seemed capable of crushing the eternal heavens.
[Gatekeeper: Stone Race Champion Warrior (Phantom)]
[Life Force Index: 610.0]
[Combat Techniques: Rock Fist (Perfection), Shattering Star Hammer Technique (Perfection)...]
Seeing this string of data, Qin Feng’s pupils contracted sharply.
’The Stone Race!’
’And a Champion Warrior from the Stone Race at that!’
’Its life force index is 610!’
’That completely surpasses me.’
’What’s even more terrifying is that long list of combat techniques at the Perfection Realm. It proves this thing is a monster with no weaknesses, perfectly balanced in offense and defense.’
"No wonder the forums say the thirtieth floor is a major hurdle—the limit for those with Upper-grade Acupoint Opening Techniques."
Qin Feng murmured to himself, his expression graver than ever.
"So, the thirty-first floor and beyond truly is the domain of Top-grade Acupoint Opening Techniques."
He took a deep breath, tightening his grip on his long spear.
Even knowing how powerful his opponent was, he hadn’t the slightest intention of backing down.
’How will I ever know the true extent of the gap between us if I don’t even fight?’
’Fight!’
The Stone Race Warrior on the throne slowly rose to its feet.
RUMBLE!
The moment it rose, the entire rocky plain seemed to tremble in response.
Its molten eyes locked onto Qin Feng with cold indifference.
The next second, it moved.
It used no fancy body technique, simply taking a single step in Qin Feng’s direction.
With that one step, its massive frame instantly crossed hundreds of meters to appear before Qin Feng. The giant rock hammer in its hand came whistling down from above, tearing through the air!
Fast!
An extreme speed that completely defied its massive size!
Qin Feng’s pupils shrank to pinpricks.
Without a second thought, he pushed the Thousand Army Spear’s body technique to its absolute limit, transforming into a streak of light as he dodged sideways.
Flowing Light Chasing Shadow!
Yet the giant hammer seemed to anticipate his every move. Its trajectory shifted, cutting off all his escape routes with an even more overbearing and tyrannical force!
There was no escape!
A fierce glint flashed in Qin Feng’s eyes. He stopped trying to evade.
Holding his long spear horizontally before him, he felt the Spiritual Energy in his body surge wildly.
Dragon’s Hoard!
He unleashed his strongest defensive technique, preparing to meet the blow head-on!
BOOM—!!!!
The giant hammer and the long spear crashed together.
A terrifying, indescribable force, like a collapsing mountain and a raging tsunami, surged down the spear shaft and flooded into Qin Feng’s body.
CRACK!
The special-alloy long spear in Qin Feng’s hands let out a pained screech, unable to bear the strain, its shaft instantly fracturing into a spiderweb of cracks.
As for Qin Feng himself, it was as if he had been struck head-on by a speeding meteorite. The bones in his arms instantly pulverized, his organs felt as if they were being churned by a tempest, and he violently coughed up a mouthful of blood. His body flew back uncontrollably, smashing hard against a rock wall hundreds of meters away.
An instant kill.
A complete and utter one-shot kill.
[Challenge Failed.]
The cold notification chimed.
With a flash of light, Qin Feng’s figure reappeared in the preparation area of the Canaan Tower.
He gasped for breath, his face pale, his eyes filled with a horror that refused to fade.
"So this is... the true power of a Stone Race Champion Warrior?"
He looked down at his hands. In the Virtual Space, his physical injuries had healed instantly, but the excruciating pain of shattered bones and ruptured organs still lingered in his nerves.