He had long since forgotten his original plan to emerge from seclusion in ten years.
Immersed in the thrill of his rapidly increasing strength, he had only one thought—
’Keep going! Don’t stop!’
’Until the very last Potion is gone!’
...
Time slipped by, and the years passed in a flash.
To Cannan Star Martial Arts University, twelve years was nothing more than the blink of an eye.
Generation after generation of freshmen enrolled, and class after class of seniors graduated.
Qin Feng, the "Crowned Newcomer King" who had once taken the university by storm, found his name fading with the passage of time. He was gradually overshadowed by newer, more dazzling geniuses, until he was all but forgotten, a relic tucked away in the corners of memory.
Only a few veteran upperclassmen still spoke of him, occasionally reminiscing about the monster who had once shocked the entire university single-handedly.
And at this moment, inside the dorm room that had lain silent for twelve long years.
HAAAA—
A white mist, so dense it was nearly tangible and brimming with the essence of life, billowed out as Qin Feng breathed.
He opened his eyes.
And what eyes they were.
They were deep and ancient, as if they held a boundless Star Sea within them.
As he blinked, golden sparks of lightning flashed and vanished within their depths.
The twelve years had left no mark of their passage on his face. Instead, his already well-defined features had become even more perfect, as if cast from divine metal.
His skin had taken on a healthy, jade-like quality, with a faint, precious lustre flowing across it.
His long seclusion had allowed his hair to grow to his waist. It fell freely over his shoulders, adding to his otherworldly air.
Qin Feng lowered his head and looked at his hands.
He could feel the terrifying power that lay dormant beneath his seemingly placid skin—a power capable of splitting mountains and cleaving rivers in two.
With a thought, he called up his personal panel.
[Great Sun Acupoint Opening Method (Mastery): 170 Great Sun Acupoints have been successfully opened and filled (170/360)]
[Life Force Index: 1730.0]
One hundred and seventy Great Sun Acupoints!
A Life Force Index of 1730.0!
After twelve whole years of arduous cultivation, he had managed to extract and absorb the full effects of all one hundred and fifty Enhanced Type-I Spiritual Energy Potions, opening precisely one hundred and twenty brand-new Acupoints!
Qin Feng felt the unprecedented power surging within him like a boundless ocean, and a genuine, satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Hammer, what time is it now?"
[Master, it is a pleasure to serve you again.]
The voice of the Intelligent Assistant, Hammer, was as respectful as ever.
[It has been twelve years and three months since you last entered seclusion.]
Twelve years.
A dizzying sense of unreality washed over him, as if he had stepped out of another era.
’How many twelve-year periods does a person get in their life?’
He subconsciously spoke aloud, his voice raspy from disuse.
"Twelve years and three months..."
"Let’s see... it’s been twenty-two years since I enrolled."
"The seventeen-year-old boy from back then is now thirty-eight."
Qin Feng mused.
Twelve years and three months.
An indescribably complex emotion welled up inside Qin Feng upon hearing the time, precise down to the month.
’It’s like a lifetime has passed.’
To him, it had just been a long session of cultivation. But to the outside world, an entire zodiac cycle had quietly slipped by.
He slowly rose and stretched his body.
A rapid succession of sharp cracks echoed from his bones.
An unprecedented sense of power filled every fiber of his being, a feeling that he could Control anything and everything.
His Life Force Index of 1730 had brought about a fundamental transformation in his body, a complete renewal from the inside out.
"Hammer, calculate my total expenditure of Contribution Points on cultivation resources since I enrolled."
Qin Feng ordered calmly.
[Of course, sir. Retrieving your transaction history and calculating now...]
Hammer was extremely efficient. A precise number soon materialized on the virtual screen before him.
[Calculation complete. Master, since your enrollment, you have redeemed various cultivation resources from the Imperial Trading House for a total cost of 7,018 Contribution Points.]
’Over seven thousand points!’
Seeing that number, even someone with Qin Feng’s disposition couldn’t help but be secretly astonished.
He recalled that his first seclusion had cost over three hundred points.
After returning from his second mission, he had invested another three hundred-plus points.
The third time, after the Newcomer Cup, was a three-year seclusion that consumed over seven hundred points.
And on top of that, this most recent seclusion had cost him 4,600 points.
All told, it added up to just over seven thousand.
"Over seven thousand Contribution Points to open 170 Great Sun Acupoints..."
Qin Feng’s mind raced, making the calculations.
"There are still 190 Great Sun Acupoints left to reach complete Perfection. Estimating based on the previous consumption rate, I’m afraid I’ll need to invest nearly another seven thousand Contribution Points to achieve it."
Twelve years ago, that number would have been enough to drive him to despair.
But now, Qin Feng felt nothing but a profound sense of calm.
He knew that for the man he was now, earning another seven thousand Contribution Points would be far, far easier than it had been before.
With his Life Force Index now at a staggering 1730, he was finally qualified to take on high-difficulty Warband missions—the ones with extremely lucrative rewards.
Earning several thousand, or even tens of thousands, of Contribution Points from a single mission was no longer an impossibility.