The next instant, he reappeared and, to the ranged attacker’s absolute horror, knocked him from the arena.
Instant kill.
Round Six.
Instant kill.
Round Seven.
Instant kill!
...
In the eighth round, when Qin Feng once again sent his opponent flying from the platform with a single, absurdly powerful punch, he had successfully broken into the top 100,000 of this year’s Newcomer Cup for the Fourth Level Division!
Eight rounds in a row. Eight battles.
His opponents ranged from ordinary rookie freshmen to experienced upperclassmen, and even elites with special abilities.
But without exception, every single one was taken down in a single, decisive blow.
His fights were so fast that the referee overseeing his platform was growing bored and had even started to yawn.
In the stands, Qin Feng’s friends watched scene after scene unfold, their expressions a mix of emotions.
"Holy shit! Old Qin is still such a damn monster!"
Xiong Yanfu exclaimed, his voice muffled by a mouthful of unidentifiable roasted meat, "It’s been eight rounds, and no one has even made him use a second move! Is he even human?"
"His speed and power are on a whole other level compared to decades ago."
Lei Meng’s expression was grave. "But it’s impossible to gauge his true depth. How many Acupoints has he opened? What’s his vitality index? There’s just no way to tell."
"He’s unreadable."
Tie Mu, a man of few words, spoke with a deeply furrowed brow. "He feels... like a bottomless abyss. You can only see the darkness, but you never know what lies hidden beneath it."
Shi Potian remained silent. He simply watched the familiar figure on the platform, his handsome face as placid as a tranquil well.
He couldn’t gauge Qin Feng’s depth either.
But his intuition as a Martial Artist was screaming at him with frantic warnings.
It was the instinctual tremor one feels when facing a creature of the same kind, but one whose very level of existence was far, far superior.
In another corner not far away, Shi Dang’s sharp eyes were locked onto Qin Feng’s figure, unblinking.
His fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrest as his brain operated at incredible speeds, frantically analyzing Qin Feng’s every move.
’His speed is even faster than I predicted. His raw physical power is likely approaching that of a Fifth-level Martial Artist.’
’His strength is equally unfathomable. He hasn’t even used any combat techniques, yet he shatters his opponents’ defenses with ease.’
’He’s still at the Fourth Level Realm, that much is certain. But... just how much power has he accumulated at this level?’
’Using a Top-grade Acupoint Opening Technique... just how many has he opened?’
Countless streams of data collided and processed in Shi Dang’s mind.
’With my current strength—at the Perfection stage of the Fifth-level Meridian Union Realm and about to break through to the Soaring Realm—what are my chances of winning if I face him?’
’And once I break through to the Soaring Realm and learn how to use Mental Power to interfere with reality, what will my chances be then?’
One battle simulation after another formed in his mind, only to be discarded.
’If it’s just that his vitality index is high and his combat techniques haven’t improved since all those years ago, I’m seventy percent confident I can suppress him with my advantage in Mental Power.’
’But if... in the past few decades, he’s mastered new and even stronger combat techniques...’
At this thought, Shi Dang’s gaze grew deeper.
’No. I can’t lose.’
A paranoid thought rose uncontrollably from the depths of his mind. ’Once I break through to the Soaring Realm and master using Mental Power to warp reality, I’ll be operating on a higher combat dimension. I’ll be invincible! No matter how powerful his physical body is, it will be rendered meaningless in the face of a true difference in realms!’
He let out a slow breath, forcibly suppressing the trace of agitation and unease in his eyes.
In its place was an almost chilling confidence.
...
As the tournament progressed, Qin Feng’s method of advancing—crushing every opponent effortlessly—finally began to attract widespread attention.
The name "Qin Beast," a title that had lain dormant for decades, was suddenly refueled. It began to spread like a virus across the Subspace forums once more.
Threads about him shot up in popularity, quickly hitting the top of the trending lists.
Naturally, this sparked intense curiosity among the countless freshmen who had enrolled in recent years and had no idea what was going on.
Similar questions could be found all over those popular threads.
[Clueless Newbie]: Um... can any of you upperclassmen fill me in? Who exactly is this "Qin Beast"? Why is everyone so hyped? I checked the Hall of Fame, but he’s not listed.
An upperclassman quickly replied below the comment.
[Helpful Upperclassman]: Don’t ask too many questions, kid. You just need to know he’s an unreasonable kind of monster. You’ll learn the rest in time.
[Well-informed Source]: Ahem, allow me to enlighten you, junior. The name "Qin Beast" originated forty years ago when he first enrolled. During his physical potential assessment, his stats literally overloaded the testing pod. The system judged his aptitude as monster-class, comparable to the "Starry Sky Giant Beast" simulation model. That’s how he earned the name "Qin Beast."
[Adding to Above]: That’s only part of it. Later, during the Newcomer Cup, he mastered multiple Control Realm combat techniques as a mere freshman and completely wiped the floor with a ton of upperclassmen. That’s when his title evolved into "The Invincible Qin Beast."
[Just Here for the Drama]: Ooooh! So he’s that incredible! Then why isn’t he famous?
[Old-Timer]: Because after he finished the Newcomer Cup and placed, he vanished without a trace. Hasn’t been seen for decades. That’s why you newbies have never heard the legends.