A top-tier suit of power armor improved a Martial Artist’s strength in every conceivable way. The results were plain to see, and the effects were immediate.
The staggering 50% amplification of one’s physical attributes, the life support and pressure stabilization systems that could save a life at a critical moment, and the micro-propulsion system that dramatically enhanced mobility...
The combined increase in combat power from all this was far greater than simply switching to a sturdier Level 5 Alloy Long Spear.
The second reason was a more practical one: cost-effectiveness.
At Cannan Star Martial Arts University, there was an unwritten rule—a benefit that all senior students were well aware of.
Next to every large teleportation base station that connected to off-campus mission zones, there was a top-tier "Power Armor Maintenance Center" directly under the Imperial Military’s command.
Students could use their student IDs to get routine maintenance, damage repairs, and even refills of the expensive Spiritual Crystals that served as the power core...
All of it was completely free!
This was the greatest form of support given to encourage students to actively participate in missions.
Buy the power armor first, then take on missions, using the spoils of battle to sustain oneself.
This was undoubtedly the most cost-effective choice under the current circumstances.
As for that "Koi Dragon Transformation" Alloy Long Spear he also coveted...
A cunning glint flashed in Qin Feng’s eyes.
’I refuse to believe that when I take on missions to clear out Interstellar Pirates or wipe out Rebel Camps in the future, those guys won’t have some good stuff stashed away in their lairs!’
’Why buy something with my own money when I can just take it? Looted gear feels so much better to use.’
Having made up his mind, Qin Feng didn’t hesitate any longer and placed the order directly.
[Confirm payment of 5,000 Contribution Points for the "Screaming Dragon I" multi-function tactical power armor?]
"Confirm."
Next, among the dazzling array of equipment, Qin Feng found another item he considered essential and highly cost-effective.
It was a small, reinforced personal flyer shaped like a deep-sea ray, its entire body a dark blue.
["Bluefin" C-3 High-Speed Assault Flyer]
[Features: Equipped with a ’Dusk’ II Spiritual Shield Generator that can be actively deployed, effectively defending against most Level 5 long-range Spiritual Weapon attacks. Features a three-stage overload acceleration system, with a top speed that can easily break the gravity of most planets to reach space stations.]
[Price: 1,000 Contribution Points]
This was another lifesaver for interstellar missions.
With this, Qin Feng could make a quick getaway, and the defensive shield would prevent him from being shot down while fleeing. It was an excellent piece of gear.
"Purchase."
Finally, Qin Feng glanced at his Subspace Storage Unit, which wasn’t very large to begin with—only a few cubic meters in size.
He knew his "starter version" storage unit definitely couldn’t fit the flyer.
So, he spent another 200 Contribution Points to purchase a larger Subspace Storage Unit, 10 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 10 meters high, replacing his old one.
After all that was done, Qin Feng looked at his once-again depleted account with satisfaction.
[Contribution Points Balance: 29]
"Sigh..."
Qin Feng couldn’t help but let out a sigh of both bliss and resignation as he looked at the number.
’Back to square one...’
Qin Feng was a dirt-poor pauper once again.
However, his heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and anticipation.
Because the very next second after he completed the payment...
A flash of light appeared in his newly purchased Subspace Storage Unit.
Two brand-new "big toys," brimming with a cold, technological aesthetic and brutal beauty, now lay quietly inside.
With a single thought from Qin Feng...
The next moment, a massive suit of dark silver power armor, radiating ferocity and majesty, appeared out of thin air. It broke apart into hundreds of independent modules and, as if alive, swiftly enveloped his entire body.
"CLANG! CLANK! CLICK—!"
A series of crisp, metallic clicks with a mechanical texture echoed continuously in his ears.
Shoulder plates, chest plate, arm guards, leg guards...
Every component attached itself to his body with perfect, unerring precision.
When the final piece, a helmet shaped like a ferocious dragon’s head, slowly descended and completely encased his head...
A three-and-a-half-meter-tall iron giant, exuding an aura of Iron Blood and slaughter, now stood silently in the center of the Cultivation Room, replacing Qin Feng.
The design of this "Screaming Dragon I" power armor was filled with a rugged, imposing majesty.
Its broad, heavy shoulder plates were like two small fortresses, each engraved with a relief of a ferocious, coiling eastern dragon.
The layered chest plate, reminiscent of Gothic architecture, perfectly protected all his vital areas.
And its massive legs, like pillars of steel, along with the engine-like power pack on its back spewing pale blue flames, gave it an unparalleled sense of power and oppression!
"CLICK—"
The helmet locked into place.
"BZZZT..."
Along with a faint electrical hum, a pale blue holographic heads-up display (HUD), filled with sci-fi data, silently lit up before his eyes inside the helmet.
Vital signs, energy reserves, weapon systems, radar scan...
All the data was visible at a glance.
Qin Feng tried moving his hands and feet.
A terrifying sense of power, several times greater than his own, instantly fed back from his limbs.
’A 45% increase in overall physical attributes... truly terrifying.’
Qin Feng mused.
Afterward, he stored the "Bluefin" flyer in his storage unit as well.
A year and a half in closed-door cultivation.
A year and a half of tempering in the tower.
Half a year of consolidating his experience.
And just like that, three and a half years had passed.
He was now over sixty years old.
But his strength had also reached an unprecedented peak.
All preparations were complete.
It was time to take on missions and earn the Contribution Points that would support his climb to even greater heights.
He reopened the Subspace Network, about to click on the now completely different-looking mission list.
Just then, in the top-right corner of his personal terminal, the icon for "Emergency Communication" suddenly began to flash with a blinding, blood-red light, blinking at an unprecedented, frantic pace.
At the same time, a flood of private messages poured in, scrolling past like a waterfall.
The senders were Xiong Yanfu, Lei Meng, and Shi Potian!
Qin Feng’s heart suddenly dropped.
An intensely ominous premonition washed over him in an instant, submerging him completely like an icy tide.
He opened the latest encrypted message, the one from Shi Potian.
The message was short.
But every word was like a red-hot, poison-laced dagger stabbing viciously into his heart.
"Old Qin! Shi Dang has fallen and become a Believer of Khorne! He betrayed us!"
"I’ve lost both arms. Xiong Yanfu was cut in half at the waist and is critically injured; they just rescued him. Tiemu lost an arm."
"Lei Meng fell saving us."
"I’ve already reported it to our mentor. Get to my dorm, fast!"
The message’s timestamp was clearly displayed at the bottom.
—A few seconds ago.