A fighting spirit, a yearning from the very depths of his soul, rose within him once again.
The Starry Sky Cup, higher realms of the Martial Dao...
To achieve any of it, he would have to fight with more grueling, more fanatical effort!
-----------------
In the meditation chamber, all was silent.
Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes. The warmth in their profound depths, left over from the conversation with his master, had vanished completely, replaced by an absolute calm and focus as still as an ancient, frozen pool.
The path forward was crystal clear. All that remained was to act.
With a single thought, he issued a command.
"Hammer."
VMMM—
A faint spatial ripple vibrated through the air, and a streak of red and white light coalesced before Qin Feng.
The light faded to reveal a Little Flying Dragon, about thirty centimeters long, with an exquisitely crafted and adorable design.
Its body was a lustrous pearl white, while its spine and the edges of its draconic wings were lined with streamlined, fiery-red plates. Its sapphire-like electronic eyes blinked with life as it hovered in midair, its tail swaying gently.
"I am here, Master. What are your orders?"
Hammer spoke in a neutral electronic tone, algorithmically optimized for maximum comfort—efficient and precise.
"Screen some Trial Planets for me."
Qin Feng’s instructions were simple and direct. "Objective: Increase proficiency with my Fourth-level Killing Technique at maximum efficiency. Requirements: Real combat pressure must be sufficiently high, and there must be safety measures in place."
"Command received. Performing multi-dimensional matching based on your ’Top-grade Primordial Acupoints’ foundation and current life force index..."
Hammer’s electronic eyes flashed with massive streams of data. "...Screening complete. The optimal options have been listed for you."
A massive virtual screen unfurled before Qin Feng.
Dozens of mission options were neatly arranged on the screen, each followed by detailed data.
[Mission Name: Planet K-19 Ecological Cleanup]
[Mission Level: Difficult]
[Target Race: Exotic Insect Race - Cutter]
[Recommended Life Force Index: 8,000-15,000]
...
Qin Feng’s gaze swept rapidly over the list until his attention was captured by an option at the very top, marked with a special glowing halo.
[Warband-Exclusive Trial Program: Trial Planet ’Meat Grinder-III’]
[Mission Mode: Long-term Deployment for High-Pressure Combat Training]
[Target Race: Green-skinned Orcs]
[Suitable Martial Artist Level: Level 6 ~ Level 7 (Life Force Index below 36,000)]
[Safety Measures: A Level 8 ’Sun and Moon Realm’ Martial Artist will be assigned as a Guardian to provide protection for the entire duration.]
[Cost: 40,000 Warband Reputation Points/Month]
"Oh?"
Qin Feng raised an eyebrow slightly. ’The Warband has missions on dedicated Trial Planets? And they even come with a Level 8 Martial Artist as a guardian?’
This was precisely the kind of plan he had in mind.
"Yes, Master."
Hammer’s voice chimed in with a supplemental explanation. "This is a joint project between the Fearless Warband and the Imperial Military. ’Meat Grinder-III’ is an ecologically-engineered planet used specifically to deploy and farm Green-skinned Orcs. Its ecosystem and reproduction rate are macro-managed by a Space Fortress, providing Martial Artists with an inexhaustible supply of combat targets at a controllable difficulty."
"Green-skinned Orcs, the Insect Race..."
Qin Feng’s fingertip tapped lightly on the virtual screen, lost in thought.
This was nothing new to him.
With their absurdly fast reproductive rates, dauntless Combat Will, and extreme adaptability, these two races were known as the Empire’s two "best training consumables."
It was as if they existed solely for War and destruction, making them perfect trial opponents.
’The price, though...’
His gaze fell on the cost section. "Eleven months would require 440,000 Reputation Points."
Qin Feng immediately pulled up his personal assets panel.
[Warband Reputation (Remaining): 520,000 Points]
’If I choose this eleven-month trial program, I’ll still have 80,000 Reputation Points left over.’
He quickly calculated in his head. ’I still have plenty of the massive resources I bought to push for Acupoint Union Perfection. Eighty thousand Reputation Points will be more than enough as a reserve fund to handle any emergencies.’
’Reputation points are meaningless if they can’t be converted into tangible combat strength.’
When it came to spending what was necessary, Qin Feng never hesitated.
His finger pressed firmly on the virtual screen, selecting "Confirm."
"Selection confirmed. Submitting your application..."
"...Application approved."
"...Matching you with a Guardian..."
"...Match successful! Guardian information has been sent to your communication channel."
Hammer was as efficient as ever.
The instant its voice faded, a soft chime sounded from the personal terminal on Qin Feng’s wrist. He tapped the screen open, and an encrypted message from the Warband’s internal network appeared.
[Zongyun]: Hello, Qin Feng. I am Zongyun, the Guardian assigned to you for this mission.
My current life force index is 47,000. I am a Level 8 Martial Artist of the Sun and Moon Realm. For the next eleven months of your trial, I will be fully responsible for your safety.
However, please be aware that according to the trial regulations, I will not intervene in your combat in any way unless you are in irreversible, life-threatening danger.
[Zongyun]: When you are ready, please proceed directly to Subspace Teleportation Platform A8 in the Fearless Zone. We can depart at any time.
After reading the message, Qin Feng calmly replied with a single word: "Okay."
He stood up and walked over to a storage cabinet in the corner of the meditation chamber.
The cabinet door opened to reveal neat rows of Spiritual Energy Potions, each shimmering with a faint blue glow.
These were his leftover resources, each vial incredibly valuable. Some could rapidly replenish stamina in battle, others provided a massive infusion of Spiritual Energy, and some could restore mental focus.