A true Martial Artist never needs to adapt to their power.
It is something forged through their own arduous training, honed second by second, minute by minute.
「The Fearless Zone.」
This was the designated area for members of the Fearless Warband, a place filled with a cold, grim, metallic austerity.
Beneath a massive alloy dome were scattered individual Teleportation Platforms, power armor maintenance bays, and tactical briefing rooms.
The air was thick with the smells of machine oil, ozone, and the faint, distinct char of energy conduction, all blending into a unique aroma that belonged only to iron and fire.
A cold, electronic tone chimed from Qin Feng’s identity bracelet, guiding him to the designated assembly point, C-7.
From a distance, he could see three figures.
They weren’t clustered together chatting idly in twos and threes like typical students. Instead, each had claimed a corner, standing still in a posture that seemed relaxed but was, in reality, ready to erupt into violence at a moment’s notice.
One man leaned against a weapons rack, cradling a Long Saber of ferocious design, its blade covered in dark gold patterns.
Another stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the cold wall, his gaze as sharp as a hawk’s.
The third paced slowly across an open space, each step so precise it seemed measured with a ruler. He habitually twirled an alloy rod—clearly the shaft of a Long Spear, missing its head—in his hand.
These were Qin Feng’s teammates for the upcoming mission, veteran members of the Fearless Warband: Yu Lin, Carlo, and Linzhou.
Qin Feng’s pace was unhurried. Each step landed precisely on the seams of the metal floor, producing a dull, rhythmic echo.
In the vast and somewhat empty space, the sound was exceptionally clear.
The very instant he stepped into the assembly area, the gazes of the three figures, who had been standing apart, snapped toward him as if drawn by a magnet.
For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.
The pupils of Yu Lin, Carlo, and Linzhou contracted almost simultaneously.
As veterans who had been at Cannan Star Martial Arts University for over sixty years, as elites forged in the crucible of countless life-or-death missions, their senses had been honed to an incredible sharpness.
To them, an ordinary Martial Artist, no matter how high their life force index, was just a quantifiable statistic.
Yet, the instant Qin Feng’s figure came into view, alarm bells of the highest order began blaring uncontrollably in their minds.
An indescribable and extremely dangerous aura surged from the seemingly calm, young figure!
The dangerous aura weighed heavily on their hearts, causing their muscles to tense unconsciously.
"Hss..."
Carlo, still leaning against the wall, locked his sharp, hawk-like eyes on Qin Feng, a storm raging in his heart.
’This feeling... Who is this kid? Is there really someone like him among the senior students?’
He rapidly scanned his memory for the top experts who had risen to prominence in recent years, but he couldn’t place the young man before him.
For Yu Lin, who was cradling his Long Saber, the feeling was more visceral.
His saber was trembling faintly.
’What a terrifying physique... This isn’t a body an Acupoint Opening Realm Martial Artist should be able to possess! Every one of his cells seems to be roaring with excitement. Wait, that face... it’s a little familiar...’
Yu Lin’s brow furrowed as fragments of memory collided rapidly in his mind.
’It’s him!’
Linzhou, who had been pacing, stopped abruptly. The spear shaft that had been twirling in his hand fell still.
He remembered.
He remembered the Demon from twelve years ago, the one who had dazzled everyone at the freshman tournament, earning titles like "Qin Beast" and "Uncrowned King"!
’I can’t believe the captain for this mission is the Qin Beast.’
A flash of realization crossed Linzhou’s mind, but it was followed by an even deeper shock.
’He vanished for a full twelve years. I thought he’d hit a bottleneck and faded into obscurity. I never expected... that when he reappeared, he’d have grown this powerful!’
His eyes filled with disbelief. ’To accept this mission, the hard requirement is a life force index of 1500. That means this monster, who only had an index of just over 500 twelve years ago, has now reached at least 1500!’
The thought alone was enough to startle Linzhou.
’A 1,000-point surge in life force index in twelve years? What does that even mean?’
So-called "geniuses" like them cultivated top-tier Upper-grade Acupoint Opening Techniques. They had access to massive resources provided by the Warband and spent the entire year either risking their lives on missions or undergoing grueling secluded training. On average, an increase of 30 points to their life force index in a year was considered a mark of exceptional talent, something worth boasting about.
’But this monster before them was averaging an increase of nearly 80 points a year?!’
And that wasn’t even the most terrifying part.
The most terrifying part was that everyone knew Qin Feng cultivated a Top-grade Acupoint Opening Technique—universally acknowledged as the most difficult to practice, the most resource-intensive, and the slowest to show progress.
’He used the hardest Cultivation Technique to walk a path several times faster than anyone else!’
The word "genius" no longer applied. He was, simply put, an aberration who defied all logic.
The same word surfaced in the minds of all three veterans: monster.
’Terrifying. A truly terrifying monster.’
At that moment, any trace of superiority they felt as senior students vanished completely. In its place was a heartfelt awe and wonder at the demonic talent of their junior.
This was Cannan Star Martial Arts University—a place that never lacked for miracles and monsters.
Under the three men’s complex gazes, Qin Feng walked up to them and came to a stop.