Shi Potian also nodded at him, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
Shi Dang smiled as well.
"Sit down, sit down!"
Xiong Yanfu enthusiastically pressed Qin Feng into a seat and poured him a glass of amber-colored fine wine. "Come, come! To celebrate our Big Monster Qin emerging from seclusion after seventeen years, let’s start with a toast!"
The five of them raised their glasses.
The atmosphere in the private room at Taotie Residence was lively.
The amber Dragon Blood Brew swirled in their glasses, emitting an intoxicatingly rich aroma and pure Spiritual Energy.
A single small glass of such fine wine was worth tens of thousands of Imperial Coins.
After a few rounds of drinks and several courses of food, the group began chatting about their experiences over the years.
Lei Meng recounted his thrilling year on a Barbaric Planet, where he played a game of cat and mouse with a pack of cunning Predators.
Xiong Yanfu animatedly boasted about how, on a commercial escort mission, he had used his gift of gab to talk a band of Interstellar Pirates into retreating without a fight.
Tiemu didn’t say much, but the few sentences he did utter were about survival techniques for various extreme environments, packed with practical information.
Qin Feng listened quietly, occasionally chiming in, his heart filled with emotion.
These brothers, who once needed his protection, had now all grown into powerhouses capable of standing on their own, shining brightly in their respective fields.
Just as the atmosphere was at its liveliest, a slightly abrupt voice cut in.
"Senior Qin Feng."
The speaker was Shi Dang.
He stood up, wine glass in hand, his gaze burning as he stared at Qin Feng. His sharp, angular face betrayed an unconcealable curiosity and Battle Intent.
"We haven’t seen each other in so many years. I imagine your strength has changed dramatically, Senior?"
As soon as he said this, the lively atmosphere in the private room fell silent.
Xiong Yanfu and the others also put down their chopsticks, looking at Qin Feng with curiosity.
They also wanted to know just how terrifyingly strong this dear friend, whom they considered a "monster," had become after disappearing for seventeen long years.
Qin Feng’s gaze swept over Shi Dang’s face.
He keenly sensed that deep in Shi Dang’s eyes lurked the same obsessive, probing look from their last meeting.
It wasn’t the simple curiosity between friends, but more of an... urgency to verify some kind of theory, to find an answer for himself.
A thought stirred in Qin Feng’s mind.
’I remember what I told Shi Potian and the others after our last gathering.’
’It seems Shi Dang’s obsession hasn’t truly been resolved.’
If it had been Xiong Yanfu or the others asking, Qin Feng, with his personality, might have answered frankly.
There was no need for secrets between friends.
But facing Shi Dang now, he changed his mind.
Because Shi Dang was being too strange.
"I wouldn’t call it earth-shattering."
Qin Feng smiled, raised his glass in a toast to Shi Dang from across the table, and said in a calm tone, "I was in seclusion for many years and was fortunate enough to have a breakthrough. I came out this time to participate in the Newcomer Cup, planning to try my luck in the Fourth Level Division."
Although he didn’t answer directly, the information in his words was clear enough.
—he, Qin Feng, was still at the realm of a Level 4 Martial Artist.
A flicker clearly passed through Shi Dang’s eyes.
A faint glint of relief, almost imperceptible, flashed in the depths of his eyes, only to be immediately replaced by an even stronger Battle Intent.
He had basically confirmed it.
Qin Feng was still a Level 4 Martial Artist.
And he, Shi Dang, was already at the peak of the Fifth-level Meridian Realm, about to knock on the door to the Sixth Level of Soaring Realm!
As long as he reached the Sixth Level of Soaring Realm, he could quickly surpass Qin Feng.
"I see."
Shi Dang sat back down, his expression returning to normal, but that hidden Battle Intent only grew more solid.
He said no more, only drinking his wine in silence.
The atmosphere in the room froze for a moment because of this small interruption.
It was Xiong Yanfu who broke the silence with his usual boisterousness.
He slapped his thigh and said with a chuckle, "Ha! Old Qin, you’re competing in the Fourth Level Division too! Now this will be a show! Let me tell you, that Old Lai Zi, Zhou Run, has signed up for the Fourth Level Division again! That guy has really taken the spirit of gaming the system to the extreme. It’s despicable!"
"I just saw on the forums, he announced that this will be his last time competing, and he’s aiming to win ten thousand Contribution Points as start-up capital. In my opinion, the championship for the Fourth Level Division is probably a foregone conclusion again."
Xiong Yanfu said, his face full of indignation.
"Old Qin, you’d better give it your all then!"
He winked at Qin Feng and said, "You might not be able to beat him for champion, but we should aim to snag second place! That would count as carving out a bloody path under that old monster’s rule!"
"No problem."
Qin Feng laughed heartily, raised his glass, and drained it in one gulp.
His calm and confidence made everyone present pause for a second, and then they all smiled knowingly.
They knew that Qin Feng never made empty boasts.
If he said it was no problem, then it was definitely no problem.
For the rest of the evening, the group stopped talking about power levels and realms. Instead, they began sharing strange and wonderful stories from their missions over the years, as well as valuable combat experience and precautions.
For instance, the fatal weakness of a certain alien creature, a hidden Resource Point in a dead star system, or how to deal with those cunning Interstellar Pirates...
For them, who spent their years on missions, this information was a treasure more valuable than money.
The meal lasted until the moon was high in the sky.
Full of food and drink, the group finally dispersed, still wishing the night could continue. They returned to their dorms to rest and adjust their condition.