Cannan Star Martial Arts University.
Iron Fist Tavern.
This was one of the favorite gathering spots for the students of the Fearless Warband, bustling with noise day and night.
The air was a mix of the rich aroma of high-energy liquor, the charred scent of synthetic barbecue, and the lingering smell of gunpowder on the Martial Artists.
The Energy Light Screen played a continuous loop of highlight reels from the Imperial Arena. Every exquisite kill or explosive clash drew cheers and whistles from the tavern patrons.
Young students gathered in small groups, their faces alight with youth and ambition. They talked animatedly, their topics revolving around recent mission profits, newly mastered killing techniques, rankings on the Canaan Tower, and which senior had achieved another stunning victory in the Starry Sky Cup preliminaries.
Meanwhile, some of the older students sat quietly in the corners, their auras more subdued and their gazes as sharp as a falcon’s. They sipped from large metal mugs, their silence a stark contrast to the surrounding din. It was a reserved calm, forged in a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
In the deepest part of the tavern, the atmosphere at an unremarkable four-person booth was utterly different from the surrounding clamor.
Qin Feng sat there quietly. Twenty years of near-total seclusion, dedicated to revenge and self-cultivation, had brought about a complete transformation in his demeanor.
His once-sharp edge was now entirely withdrawn, replaced by an abyss-like calm.
He wore a plain black Combat Suit with no faction insignia. Sitting there silently, he was like a reef in the ocean; no matter how fiercely the waves crashed around him, he remained unmoved.
If not for the red-and-white skull hanging at his waist—polished to a bloody sheen and exuding a bizarre aura—no one would have given him a second glance.
"Well, look who finally decided to show his face."
A deep, powerful voice boomed as Nissan sat down imposingly across from Qin Feng.
He was even more burly than twenty years ago, his knotted muscles nearly bursting out of his Combat Suit. But his eyes had grown deeper, a clear sign that his years of hard training had also yielded immense gains.
Right after him, Dragon Jade—lean and compact, with an aura as sharp as a blade—and Ning Jing—still as steady as a mountain, but with a brilliant light shining in his eyes—also took their seats.
The four were reunited. There was no need for excessive pleasantries; a single look exchanged between them said more than a thousand words.
The surrounding noise seemed to be shut out by an invisible barrier. The four of them formed their own world, conversing quietly.
"Qin Feng, it’s been over twenty years in the blink of an eye,"
Ning Jing spoke first, his gaze like a torch fixed on Qin Feng. "I wonder what level of strength you’re at now?"
This was the question that concerned him most.
Among Martial Artists, strength was the most direct form of greeting.
Twenty years ago, Qin Feng had already shown inhuman potential. His current strength was bound to be world-shaking.
Qin Feng merely smiled calmly at the question and had yet to speak when Dragon Jade jumped in.
Dragon Jade’s eyes scanned Qin Feng from head to toe, finally landing on the strange skull at his waist. He raised his mug and grinned. "That must be Shi Dang’s head, right? To be able to kill Shi Dang completely... one can only imagine your strength."
He paused, then continued his analysis. "To kill the Shi Dang of back then, Qin Feng must have already reached the realm of a Ninth-level Extreme Martial Artist.
"Besides, knowing his personality—never taking a loss and always acting with a plan—he wouldn’t have come out of seclusion unless he’d made overwhelming progress.
"So I’m guessing Qin Feng has already pushed his Dao Foundation to the theoretical limit for level nine, the fourth great limit of 108,000 points.
"And... his Mental Power must have reached the standard as well."
Dragon Jade’s analysis was meticulous and logical.
He knew Qin Feng too well.
He concluded, "Popping up now, his goal is probably clear: he wants to get a good ranking in the next Starry Sky Cup, apply for graduation, and then move on to a bigger stage."
"Hahaha!"
Hearing this, Qin Feng finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud. "You really get me, Dragon Jade! That’s right. I’m planning to get a good ranking, apply for graduation, and then participate in the Cosmic Genius Battle. What about you guys? How has your strength progressed over the past twenty years?"
Hearing Qin Feng’s confirmation, even though they had already suspected it, Ning Jing’s and Nissan’s pupils still constricted slightly.
The fourth great limit!
That was the Ultimate Perfect Realm that every Ninth-level Extreme Martial Artist dreamed of, representing the point where one could begin to break through to become a Planet-level Life Form.
The three of them had only just recently surpassed the third great limit of 72,000 points.
"We’re not freaks like you."
Nissan grinned, showing a mouth of white teeth. "We’ve spent most of these twenty years in secluded, arduous training, occasionally taking on high-difficulty missions to hone our killing techniques.
"The three of us just have the physical aptitude of a Gold-standard human. Even though we all have Top-grade Primordial Acupoints, the rate at which our life force increases is nowhere near a ’Starry Sky Giant Beast’ like you. Right now, we’ve all just broken through the third great limit, so we’ve firmly stepped over the threshold of a Ninth-level Extreme Martial Artist and are working toward the fourth great limit."
Dragon Jade and Ning Jing nodded slightly, confirming that this was indeed the case.
They were among Canaan’s top geniuses, but compared to Qin Feng, the gap in their cultivation speed was still despair-inducing.
But this didn’t make them jealous. On the contrary, it was a source of motivation. Having a comrade as dazzling as a comet only gave them more drive to catch up.
"By the way,"
Qin Feng, remembering another purpose of his visit, asked, "How much do you guys know about the rules for the upcoming Starry Sky Cup and this so-called ’Cosmic Genius Battle’?"