Shi Dang’s fists were clenched tight at his sides. His nails dug so deep into his palms they drew blood, but he was completely oblivious to the pain.
He had to become stronger!
Stronger than Qin Feng!
-----------------
As the deafening wave of cheers surged from all directions like a physical tide, threatening to drown one’s very soul, Qin Feng had already slipped away from his friends’ wild celebration.
He moved through the deliriously excited crowd to a relatively secluded corner of the stands. Leaning back against the cold metal wall, he slowly exhaled.
The joy of victory was like a fine, mellow wine, but it didn’t intoxicate him.
Rather than the deafening praise and worship of the "monster" around him, he was more concerned with the tangible spoils of war—the ones that could be converted into personal strength.
Qin Feng raised his hand, and with a thought, a pale blue virtual screen that only he could see quietly materialized before his eyes.
This was his personal Subspace account terminal.
Next to the line item labeled "Contribution Points Balance," a string of crimson numbers was jumping and refreshing frantically.
Finally, the number settled.
[Contribution Points: 11,209]
Staring at this number, a fiery spark finally ignited in Qin Feng’s perpetually calm eyes.
Ten Thousand Contribution Points!
This fortune was enough for him to purchase the fifth-level Cultivation Technique he had dreamed of, the one that would lead to a higher state of existence—the Great Sun Qi Meridian Method!
Just then, in the top-right corner of the account terminal, an envelope-shaped icon began to flash wildly with a piercing red light.
Qin Feng reached out and tapped it open.
A long list of private messages instantly popped up.
At the very top were a few congratulatory messages from his comrades.
[Yin Jing: Congrats! I knew you’d win! Just what I’d expect from you!]
[Qin Lan: That was amazing!]
[Carlo: Brother Qin Feng! Your improvement is insane, you even took down Zhou Run! When are you free? Let’s go out for a drink, my treat!]
Seeing these familiar names, the hard lines of Qin Feng’s face, etched by years of arduous training, softened.
He replied to each message with a simple smiley face emoji, a small gesture of goodwill.
After doing this, his gaze fell upon the encrypted message that the system had automatically placed at the very top of the list.
Sender—Yu Han.
Qin Feng took a deep breath and opened the message.
There was no idle chatter. Master Yu Han’s message was, as always, concise and to the point, like a military order.
"Rookie Cup, Fourth Level Division, First Place."
"Reward: 10,000 Contribution Points. (Distributed)."
"Additional Reward: One personal guidance session with Lord Zhou."
"Come to the ’Stargaze’ District, Cultivation Platform 3, immediately. Lord Zhou is waiting for you."
At the end of the message was a flashing real-time spatial coordinate.
Lord Zhou...
When he saw those two words, Qin Feng’s pupils contracted sharply.
He reacted almost instantly. This "Lord Zhou" could only be the living legend, the Black Hole-level Martial Artist, the company commander of the Ultramarines Chapter—Zhou Xiong!
A personal guidance session with him!
The value of this reward far exceeded the ten thousand Contribution Points themselves!
This was a true priceless treasure, something that couldn’t be measured by any amount of money!
Qin Feng’s heart uncontrollably skipped a beat.
He didn’t dare delay for a second. He immediately replied with a single word below the message.
"Received."
He then closed the virtual screen, confirmed the direction of the coordinates, and without a moment’s hesitation, turned and strode toward the dedicated exit for the stands.
Then, he immediately initiated Subspace Teleportation.
...
The "Martial Immortal" District.
This was the most central and mysterious area in the entire Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University.
It was the exclusive training ground for masters at the Stellar-level and above. On a normal day, not only were ordinary students forbidden, but even elite disciples could not take a single step inside without a personal summons from a master.
The very air seemed to flow with a viscous, liquefied Spiritual Energy.
Qin Feng passed through numerous checkpoints and arrived at Cultivation Platform 3, the location specified by the coordinates.
The first thing that greeted his eyes was a boundless bamboo forest, its greenery so lush it seemed to drip.
A gentle breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, creating a sound like heavenly music.
Below his feet was a churning sea of flawless white clouds, rising and falling with the air currents, as if he were standing in an Immortal Realm high above the heavens.
A quaint and elegant pavilion, constructed entirely of green bamboo, stood silently at the edge of the sea of clouds, blending perfectly with the surrounding scenery.
This was Master Yu Han’s training ground.
Qin Feng had been here once before.
Master Yu Han was not present at the moment.
Inside the pavilion, there was only a single figure, standing as still and imposing as a mountain.
He wore a suit of power armor, a deep blue so dark it was almost black, exuding a savage kind of beauty. Its sleek lines and heavy plating radiated the murderous, Iron Blood aura of a veteran of countless battles.
His helmet was casually tucked under his arm, revealing a face that at first glance seemed unremarkable, yet held a depth as profound as the entire starry sky.
It was none other than Zhou Xiong.
He just stood there quietly, emanating no powerful aura, yet the very space around him seemed to freeze in his presence.
It was an absolute suppressive force, originating from a higher plane of existence.
Qin Feng stopped, coming to a halt outside the pavilion. He faced the figure and gave a respectful, standard-issue Imperial Army salute.