Here, they shed the halos of "genius," returning to their purest identities as Martial Artists to begin their daily, routine cultivation exchange.
It was a new habit they had formed over the past month.
"Let’s talk about our life force indexes first."
Dragon Jade was the first to speak. "Over the past month, I’ve increased it by about 150 points. Cultivating every morning, I can get it up by about 5 points."
"I’m about the same."
Nissan said, "Five points. On a good day, I might hit six, but that’s my limit."
Ning Jing nodded, indicating his progress was much the same.
Then, all three of them turned their gazes to Qin Feng in unison.
Qin Feng considered for a moment, then said, "For me, I can raise it by about ten points in a morning."
A brief silence fell over the quiet chamber.
"As expected of a monster the system judged to have the potential of a ’Starry Sky Giant Beast’..."
After a long moment, Dragon Jade finally heaved a long sigh, his voice thick with emotion. "We all have ’Top-grade Primordial Acupoints,’ yet your rate of improvement is a full two times faster than ours.
I’d guess that when we face the ’three great limits’ that every Sixth-level Martial Artist must pass, you’ll break through those bottlenecks much faster than us, too."
"Yeah."
Nissan nodded emphatically. He looked at Qin Feng and said, "A rapid increase in life force could be explained by having an incredible physical foundation.
But for your killing techniques to improve this fast, it can only mean your talent in Mental Power is also frighteningly high.
And Mental Power just so happens to be the crucial core of cultivation after the planetary level..."
"It’s all just been a matter of luck."
Faced with the astonishment of his three close friends, Qin Feng gave his usual, humble reply.
He knew that while talent was certainly a factor, the results were owed more to his grueling, almost masochistic training, which far surpassed that of any ordinary person.
For instance, Qin Feng hadn’t slept at all for the entire past month.
His immense progress in killing techniques was built on a foundation of fighting three to five hundred battles every single day.
The four continued to talk, sharing their insights on cultivating killing techniques and discussing the various interesting opponents they’d met in the Imperial Arena.
Just then, a distinct, slightly clamorous noise faintly drifted in from outside the heavy door of the Cultivation Quiet Chamber, a door forged from "Void Stone."
"Hm? What’s going on outside?"
Nissan frowned.
Dragon Jade listened intently for a moment, managing to catch a few key words.
A playful smile touched his lips. "Sounds like Wan Kun’s direct senior is here. The one nicknamed ’Staff Fool,’ Qin Yonglin."
"Qin Yonglin?"
A flash of surprise crossed Ning Jing’s eyes. "You mean the monster who placed in the top one hundred thousand in the Sixth-level Martial Artist division of the last Starry Sky Cup?"
"Yep, that’s him."
Dragon Jade nodded. "I heard he saw the recording of your fight with Wan Kun this afternoon. He probably heard that Wan Kun lost to you and came here specifically to find you."
Hearing this, Nissan immediately blurted out, "Heh! Isn’t this just like in the novels? You beat up the junior, and the senior shows up?"
"Hahahaha—"
His wisecrack even made Ning Jing laugh.
Ning Jing waved his hand dismissively. "Don’t be ridiculous.
I’ve never dealt with Senior Qin Yonglin, but I know his reputation.
He’s a Martial Fool in the purest sense of the word. His mind is filled with nothing but cultivation and combat.
Martial Artists like him, who have truly clawed their way up through blood and fire, don’t have the ’leisurely inclination’ to settle scores."
"My guess? He absolutely heard about Wan Kun’s defeat, then heard about your previous accomplishments, and his hands got itchy. He came here specifically to cross a few moves with you. After all, the spear and the staff share a common origin."
Ning Jing’s guess was quickly proven correct.
A polite knock sounded at the door.
When Qin Feng opened the door, he saw Wan Kun standing there, a look of embarrassment on his face.
Beside him stood a young man, his posture even more erect, his aura as deep and vast as the sea.
This young man also held a long staff, but his was a primitive bronze color, etched with arcane patterns.
He just stood there, his sharp edge on full display.
"Junior Qin, I am Qin Yonglin."
Before Qin Feng could speak, the young man stepped forward and flashed a brilliant smile, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth.
"It’s quite a coincidence; we both share the surname Qin. You practice the spear, and I practice the staff. In truth, the spear and staff share a common origin."
His gaze, like that of the sharpest falcon, swept over Qin Feng, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration and intense battle intent.
"I’ve spoken with Wan Kun, and I saw the recording of the fight this afternoon, along with your own previous battle recordings.
To cultivate dozens of Lower Three Grades Killing Techniques to the Control Realm;
to create a supreme killing move like [Qian Yuan], one capable of spontaneously invoking your Mental Power;
and now, to learn a brand-new Fourth-level Killing Technique and reach the Minor Achievement Realm in just one month... Junior Qin, honestly, when I heard all of this, my hands started itching something fierce. I’m absolutely starving for a fight!"
His words were direct and frank, filled with the purest desire that exists between Martial Artists.
"Therefore, I came here today specifically to ask for your instruction, Junior Qin!"
He cupped his fist toward Qin Feng in a solemn gesture, his voice booming.
"My current life force index is eighteen thousand, and I’ve already reached the first great limit. The Fourth-level Killing Technique I major in, the >, has also reached the ’Perfection’ Realm."
"I know my life force index is far higher than yours. If we were to have a real battle or a private domain duel, it would be extremely unfair to you."