Night fell, and the central cafeteria of Qiming First Martial Arts High School was brightly lit.
Qin Feng carried his tray to a corner table by the window and sat down.
"Old Qin, over here!"
Qian Duoduo’s voice called out from nearby. He strode over, carrying a tray piled so high it was about to overflow. Trailing behind him was Shi Potian, his expression serene.
On Shi Potian’s tray was also a C-grade Energy Meal.
Clearly, he had also upgraded his contract.
"We’ve got to eat well today to celebrate another C-rank big shot coming out of Dorm 402."
Qian Duoduo plopped down into a seat and savagely scooped up a huge mouthful of his D-grade nutrient paste, as if trying to swallow all his envy and jealousy.
"Haha."
Qin Feng and Shi Potian exchanged a smile.
The three ate in silence. It was an unspoken understanding they shared.
Qin Feng had developed the habit of browsing information on his wrist terminal while he ate. His movements were efficient and focused; he held his spoon in his left hand while the fingers of his right swiped rapidly across the virtual screen.
He opened the Qi Yi High School’s internal campus forum.
In truth, Qin Feng would have preferred to browse the Cosmic Forum that Qian Duoduo had mentioned before, but unlocking access to it cost 100,000 Imperial Coins.
The forum’s interface had a metallic, high-tech aesthetic, with clearly defined sections.
The titles of the hottest posts at the top were nearly all bolded and highlighted in red, practically glowing to draw the eye.
As Qin Feng’s gaze swept over the titles, he froze.
[PINNED] [HOT]: HUGE NEWS! First-Year Second Monthly Exam Results Are Out, a Newcomer King Is Born! From Outside 60,000th Place to Number One in the Grade in Just Two Months!
[FEATURED] [VIRAL]: MONSTER! An In-Depth Analysis of Grade-Ranked #1, "Qin Feng"—His Insight into Spear Arts Is Transcendent, and His Rate of Life Force Index Growth Is That of a Demon!
[DISCUSSION] [HOT]: A Logical Question: With Such Terrifying Talent, Why Was His Initial School Ranking So Low? Is There a Story We Don’t Know About? Seeking Answers from Insiders!
[COMBAT POWER ANALYSIS]: A Brief Discussion on Qin Feng’s Slaughter Realm Based on the Massive Gap in His Combat Simulation Score. Could He Have Already Reached the "Initial Stage"?
Every single title was tied to his name.
"Well, well, Old Qin. Looks like you’re a celebrity now."
Qian Duoduo, being sharp-eyed, leaned over to glance at Qin Feng’s screen and immediately let out a cry. "Look at these titles! ’Newcomer King,’ ’Monster,’ ’Demon’... Tsk, tsk. I don’t think even these words are enough to describe you."
Shi Potian glanced over as well, the corners of his lips twitching upward. "Congratulations," he said to Qin Feng.
Qin Feng shook his head with a sigh and closed the threads.
He didn’t care for such empty fame; he was more concerned with practical matters.
With a swipe of his finger, he opened the pinned announcement thread about the "Qiming Inter-School League."
Seeing how intently Qin Feng was reading, Qian Duoduo grew curious and leaned his head over.
"The Inter-School League... man, that’s the biggest annual event for all the Martial Arts High Schools in the Qiming Series."
The post detailed the rules of the league.
[Qiming Inter-School League Regulations (Freshman Tournament / Veteran Tournament)]
[Eligibility]:
Freshman Tournament: First or second-year students who have been enrolled for less than one year. Entry Requirement: Second Level Martial Artist, or possession of a C-rank or higher contract.
Veteran Tournament: Second or third-year students who have been enrolled for one year or more. Entry Requirement: Third-level Martial Artist, or possession of a B-rank or higher contract.
[Competition Format]: Individual arena combat. Random matchmaking, single elimination. The use of firearms and power armor is forbidden. Only standard bladed weapons and light armor are permitted.
[Safety Disclaimer]: All matches will be conducted within a high-intensity Energy Shield and supervised by professional referees and medical teams. However, in the Martial Dao, strikes are indiscriminate; every year, the league sees incidents of serious injury and even death. All participants are required to purchase comprehensive insurance beforehand and sign a life-and-death waiver.
[Prizing]: Academic credits will be awarded based on final rankings.
"The entry requirement for the Freshman Tournament... isn’t that practically tailor-made for you and Old Stone?"
Qian Duoduo’s eyes were practically glowing. "Second Level Martial Artist, C-rank contract... you both qualify! If you guys enter the Freshman Tournament, won’t you just dominate?"
Qin Feng said nothing, his eyes still scanning the rules line by line.
Shi Potian, however, stated succinctly, "Anyone who qualifies for the Freshman Tournament is no weakling."
"Their life force indexes might be so-so, but when it comes to killing arts, I doubt anyone can surpass Qin Feng."
Qian Duoduo chuckled, pointing his spoon at Qin Feng.
"Let’s hope so."
Qin Feng smiled.
He quickly finished the Energy Meal on his tray. A warm energy began to spread slowly through his limbs.
He was about to get up when he noticed a strange shift in the cafeteria’s atmosphere.
Many students had stopped eating, their gazes subtly converging on his table.
Their eyes held a mixture of curiosity, scrutiny, and the eager anticipation of watching a scene unfold.
Qian Duoduo was the first to notice. He nudged Qin Feng with his elbow and jutted his chin in a specific direction.
"Look. Here comes trouble."
Qin Feng followed his gaze.
An exceptionally tall and burly student was walking toward their table.
He was nearly two meters tall, with shoulders as broad as a wall. His training uniform was stretched taut over his bulging muscles. Every step was heavy and powerful, making him seem like a great bear walking through the woods, radiating an invisible pressure.
"Tie Lin, a first-year."
Qian Duoduo lowered his voice, giving a quick introduction. "His overall martial studies rank isn’t in the top hundred, but he’s second in combat simulation—the one who scored 290. He’s been wanting to challenge you but couldn’t find you. Now that your picture and results are up on the forum, he probably couldn’t sit still any longer."