Every expert has their own secrets, and it wasn’t his style to get to the bottom of things.
His tone shifted, and his expression became incredibly serious.
"This mission has a ’Nightmare’ rating. The death rate is extremely high."
He looked directly into Qin Feng’s eyes and said, emphasizing every word, "So, before we leave, I need to confirm your true strength. We need to fight."
The moment he said this, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly grew a bit strange.
Dragon Jade and Nissan glanced at each other, a hint of a resigned smile in their eyes.
They knew Ning Jing’s personality all too well: strict, direct, and with the mission as his highest priority. He would not tolerate any uncertainties.
Ning Jing seemed to notice the change in atmosphere and added, "Please understand. This isn’t a provocation, nor am I questioning your data. I just need to determine our team’s combined Combat Power in the most direct way possible. This will allow me to assess the mission’s success rate and formulate the most effective strategy."
He spoke candidly, without any hidden agenda.
"No problem."
Qin Feng nodded without hesitation, showing his understanding.
’If I were in his shoes,’ he thought, ’facing a new teammate with such an ’abnormal’ record, I’d also make the same request before trusting him with my back on a Nightmare-grade mission with only a slim chance of survival.’
Letting one’s strength do the talking was always the most direct, effective, and respected form of communication between Martial Artists.
"Good!"
Seeing Qin Feng’s straightforward agreement, a flash of approval appeared in Ning Jing’s eyes.
He wasted no more words and began operating his personal terminal.
A moment later, Qin Feng received a duel invitation from Ning Jing.
[User "Ning Jing" has invited you to a private combat space. Accept?]
"Accept."
Qin Feng confirmed with a thought.
...
Light and shadow shifted.
When Qin Feng’s consciousness solidified again, he found himself in a vast, boundless white space.
Beneath his feet was a solid floor that emitted a soft glow. All around him was an endless void made of pure data.
A standard-issue set of light combat armor had been automatically generated on his body. In his hand, he held an Alloy Long Spear, also system-generated, with a weight and texture identical to his Dragon Koi.
A hundred meters away, Ning Jing’s figure also materialized.
He wore the same light armor, but in his hand, he gripped a heavy, dark-gold long whip.
"Come on!"
Ning Jing let out a low shout, with no intention of testing the waters.
The ground beneath his feet shook violently. He shot forward like a cannonball, instantly crossing the hundred-meter distance and hurtling toward Qin Feng.
His heavy long whip cut through the air, creating a piercing sonic boom. It was like an awakened, furious dragon, stirring up a boundless gale as it lashed straight for Qin Feng’s face!
Shadows of the whip multiplied. Each one contained a terrifying force capable of shattering mountains and splitting stone, along with a brutal, domineering offensive Will.
Facing this earth-shattering strike, Qin Feng’s expression remained unchanged.
His choice was identical to Ning Jing’s.
Head-on!
He didn’t use any exquisite killing moves—just a pure, unadorned explosion of strength and speed!
His Long Spear was like lightning. Though he moved second, it struck first, landing precisely on the core of the whistling whip’s shadow.
CLANG!!!
The deafening sound of metal on metal echoed throughout the entire Virtual Space.
A visible shockwave erupted from the point of impact, madly spreading out in all directions!
Ning Jing felt an unprecedented, irresistible, and terrifyingly immense force travel up the body of his whip.
That power was so pure, so tyrannical, it felt less like it came from a human body and more like it belonged to a prehistoric Starry Sky Giant Beast rampaging through the cosmos!
’What?!’
Ning Jing’s pupils contracted violently, a look of utter horror appearing on his face for the first time.
He felt that the strength he took so much pride in was as fragile as a piece of straw before this colossal power.
His long whip was nearly sent flying from his grasp. A tearing pain shot through the webbing between his thumb and forefinger, and the bones in his entire arm groaned under the unbearable load.
His own physical potential had been rated as the highest "Gold Standard Human, Class III" by the Empire’s standards; otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to choose a Top-grade Acupoint Opening Technique.
’And yet, right now, I feel that Qin Feng’s strength is at least... ten times my own!’
’How is that possible?!’
Before he could recover from his shock, Qin Feng’s second strike had already arrived.
Having landed a successful blow, Qin Feng pressed his advantage.
He completely abandoned all defense and evasion, unleashing his grand, sweeping, purely offensive combat style to its fullest extent.
His figure closed in like a phantom, his long spear transforming into a sky full of afterimages. At times, it was like a furious dragon bursting from the sea—fierce and unstoppable. At others, it was like a venomous snake striking—cunning and vicious.
Ning Jing was forced completely onto the defensive.
His prideful strength was utterly crushed, forcing him to rely on his hard-won combat skills, barely holding on by swinging his long whip.
But how could Qin Feng’s combat technique be any worse than his?
In the fifth exchange, Qin Feng’s spear knocked Ning Jing’s long whip aside, leaving his guard wide open.
In the seventh exchange, Qin Feng’s "Golden Luan" slammed directly into Ning Jing’s chest.
The light armor on Ning Jing’s body instantly shattered, and he was sent flying backward like a kite with a snapped string.
In the ninth exchange, before Ning Jing could even steady himself, the tip of Qin Feng’s spear had already become a streak of light, stopping precisely before his throat.