High Martial Arts: Liver Becomes the Master of the Universe

Chapter 168 360 Acupoints! Vitality Index 3600! Level Two Killing Technique "Cold Light," the spear strikes like a dragon!

Over the next two years, Qin Feng completely transformed into a highly sophisticated and efficient mission machine.

He no longer focused on challenging the Tower of Canaan, but instead devoted all his time and energy to the vast list of tasks.

Qin Feng began carrying out the mission.

He and a heavy firepower expert skilled in positional warfare fought together to intercept a fleet of space pirates on the asteroid belt.
He and his elite squad had worked together to wipe out a corrupt family that lived in an abandoned space station and worshipped a chaotic evil god.

Two years seemed like just a few pages turning in his life.

The cold starry sky, the roaring ships, and the fierce battlefield constituted his entire life.

Two years later.

When Qin Feng returned to Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University and went back to his quiet dormitory, a barely perceptible ripple finally appeared on his usually calm face.

He opened his personal assets panel, looked at the fluctuating numbers, and had only one thought in his mind.

"enough."

Name: Qin Feng
[Contribution Points]: 4409

[Dreadnought Reputation]: 5000 points

enough.

Two years have brought them this enormous fortune.

Now, it's time to transform these cold numbers into stepping stones to a higher level.

Qin Feng sat in his dormitory, not in a hurry to take action.

He first spent half a day washing away the fatigue he had accumulated from the past two years of hard work through the "Mahavairocana Visualization Method" and the "Emperor's Meditation Method," allowing his mind to return to a state of absolute emptiness and clarity.

He then opened the exchange interface of the Imperial Trading Post.

It was an incredibly simple yet all-encompassing virtual light screen.

Countless goods flowed across the screen of light like stars.

Qin Feng's gaze did not linger for even a second on the dazzling array of divine artifacts, armor, and secret techniques.

His goal was crystal clear from the very beginning.

He first opened the exclusive list for reputation redemption.

[Exchange Item: Enhanced Type I Psionic Potion]

【introduce:……】

Price: 20 contribution points/1 item or 20 reputation points/1 item

[Exchange Quantity: 250]

[Payment Method: Dreadnought Reputation]

Total: -5000 reputation points

[Confirm redemption?]

"confirm."

Qin Feng clicked without hesitation.

His Dreadnought reputation was wiped out instantly, but he remained completely unfazed.

"Reputation is ultimately just honor and a means of purchasing power within the warband system. Contribution points, on the other hand, are a form of hard currency used throughout the entire empire."

He thought to himself, "More importantly, the legendary follow-up technique of the Great Sun Awakening Technique, the Great Sun Harmonizing Technique, can only be obtained by exchanging a massive amount of contribution points. No matter how high the reputation is, it won't help. Therefore, I must prioritize consuming reputation."

Immediately afterwards, he switched to the contribution point redemption interface.

[Redeemable Item: Enhanced Type I Deep Repair Herbal Bath Pack]

【introduce:……】

Price: 10 contribution points/pack

[Redemption Quantity: 160 packs]

[Payment Method: Contribution Points]

Total: -1600 contribution points

[Confirm redemption?]

"confirm."

[Exchange Item: Enhanced Type I Mental Strength Recovery Potion]

【introduce:……】

Price: 20 contribution points/piece

[Exchange Quantity: 80]

[Payment Method: Contribution Points]

Total: -1600 contribution points

[Confirm redemption?]

"confirm."

With the final confirmation, Qin Feng's contribution value balance on his personal terminal plummeted from 4409 points to 1209 points.

A single extravagant purchase wiped out more than 70% of his hard-earned savings from the past two years.

But his heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and peace.

One by one, the medicines and bath packets, sealed in special alloy boxes, were precisely transported to his subspace storage unit. Qin Feng took them out one by one and placed them in the martial arts room.

Looking at the mountain of cultivation resources before him, a raging fire ignited in Qin Feng's eyes.

Everything is ready.

What follows will be a period of asceticism accompanied by solitude.

He walked to the control panel in the dormitory and activated the highest level of seclusion mode.

The heavy alloy door slowly closed, shutting out all light and sound from the outside world.

The life support system, energy circulation system, and defensive force field of the training room in the dormitory were adjusted to the highest level.

The entire dormitory had transformed into a cocoon, isolated from the world.

He will complete his most important transformation within this cocoon.

Time has lost its meaning.

The rotation of the sun, moon, and stars, and the changing winds and clouds in the outside world, have nothing to do with this small cultivation room anymore.

Here, there is only eternal darkness, and Qin Feng's unwavering martial arts heart, as steadfast as a star.

On the first day of his seclusion, Qin Feng swallowed a [Type I Enhanced Spiritual Energy Potion].

"boom!"

A torrent of spiritual energy exploded throughout his body in an instant!

The feeling wasn't like gentle nourishment, but more like magma pouring in, or a star exploding!
Every cell in his body was screaming, and every inch of his meridians was being torn apart and widened by the violent energy.

Excruciating pain! Heart-wrenching pain!
But there wasn't the slightest distortion on Qin Feng's face.

His will, honed by the "Emperor's Meditation Method," had long been as firm as divine iron.

Enduring the excruciating pain that would have caused an ordinary martial artist to faint or even suffer a mental breakdown, Qin Feng activated the "Great Sun Aperture Opening Technique" and guided the raging torrent of energy towards the next unopened "Great Sun Aperture" barrier, launching a desperate assault!
"Let me... open it!"

A roar that came from the depths of the soul.

"puff……"

It was as if something had been punctured.

The barrier of the 171st "Great Sun Aperture" was broken in response!

The price he paid was that his body was already in complete disarray inside.

Countless meridians were broken, muscle fibers dissolved, and even bones were covered with fine cracks.

Without stopping, he struggled to climb into the bathtub that had been prepared and was filled with the [Enhanced Type I Deep Repair Medicated Bath].

"Zizzizi..."

The highly active life energy, like the gentlest spring water, quickly enveloped his broken body and began to repair his wounds at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The severed meridians were reconnected and became stronger; the dissolved muscle fibers re-coagulated and became denser.

Break and stand.

Every destruction is accompanied by a more powerful rebirth.

Once his physical body is fully repaired, he will immediately take the [Type I Enhanced Mental Strength Recovery Potion], sit cross-legged, and visualize the majestic figure on the golden throne to recover the mental energy that was exhausted during the enlightenment process.

Once his spirit is fully restored, he will not hesitate to pick up the next psionic potion.

This is a cycle filled with pain and destruction.

Injection, shock, orifice breaking, severe injury, repair, recovery...

Day after day, year after year.

For the past five years, Qin Feng has lived with pain as his breath and destruction as his sustenance. His world consists of only these six tedious and cruel steps.

And the number of his "Great Sun Apertures" was growing at a rate that outsiders could not imagine.

One hundred and eighty...

Two hundred...

Two hundred and thirty...

Once the number of "Great Sun Apertures" opened exceeds 250, the difficulty increases dramatically.

The remaining acupoints are all more fortified than the previous ones.

Often, he needs to expend three or even five doses of psionic potion, undergo dozens of impacts, and endure the pain of his body being torn apart dozens of times before he can barely open a new acupoint.

The pace of progress has visibly slowed down.

The initial thrill of rapidly increasing strength has long since disappeared.

Instead, there is a suffocating, seemingly endless monotony and tedium.

This is the cruelest test of will.

The meditation room was deathly silent. There was no sound, no light, and no one to talk to.

Loneliness, like an invisible beast, gnaws at his mind at every moment.

Sometimes, during breaks in repairing his physical body, his father Qin Dahai's smiling face would uncontrollably appear in his mind, along with the familiar faces of Shi Potian and Xiong Yanfu. He would even recall the laughter and banter with his classmates at Qiming No. 1 High School.

But whenever this happens, he immediately cuts off these chaotic thoughts.

Before his eyes, all that remained was the lonely emperor who had guarded humanity for countless millennia on that golden throne.

Compared to that eternal solitude that bears the weight of an entire civilization, what is my mere loneliness of a dozen years?
"Only when you have passed through the seventh level of loneliness can you become a true strongman."

Qin Feng's heart became increasingly calm and pure through repeated self-examination and reaffirmation.

Like a stubborn rock that has been washed by flowing water for thousands of years, all its edges and impurities have been worn away, leaving only its core essence.

He stopped calculating time and stopped anticipating the outcome.

It's just cultivation.

It's as if this is the most primal form of life.

Two hundred and eighty...

Three hundred...

Three hundred and twenty...

The last forty "Great Sun Apertures" are the real natural barriers.

They are hidden in the deepest, most mysterious corners of the body, and the strength of their defenses is almost unbelievable.

Qin Feng's resources are being consumed at an alarming rate.

His body had long since developed a "resistance" to that kind of excruciating pain.

Even with severed meridians and shattered internal organs, he can calmly consider the angle and force of the next impact.

Like the most demanding craftsman, he used his will as a carving knife and endless pain as a whetstone to carry out the final and most difficult carving on his own divine body, which he called "flesh".

Three hundred and forty...

Three hundred and fifty...

Three hundred and fifty-nine...

When all his potions and bath packs were exhausted, and when all his energy was nearly depleted, he finally stood before the last threshold.

The 360th "Great Sun Aperture".

It is located at the center of all the acupoints, as if it were the central imperial court of the entire "Great Sun Star Chart".

Qin Feng condensed the last bit of energy in his body into a cone, and with all the will and strength he had accumulated over the past seventeen years, he launched an attack on that final barrier.

No sound.

There was no loud noise.

At the moment of success, the whole world seemed to stand still.

Qin Feng felt as if all 360 "Great Sun Apertures" in his body were simultaneously lit up at this moment!
They are no longer individual stars, but are connected to each other through countless new, golden energy veins, forming an incomparably magnificent, profound, and perfect... three-dimensional star map!
This star chart slowly rotated within his body.

Each acupoint is a sun, and three hundred and sixty suns together form a miniature, perfect, and flawless universe.

An unprecedented, harmonious, and ever-renewing charm emanated from the deepest part of his body.

Level 4 Enlightenment Realm, completely perfected!
Seventeen years of solitude and arduous cultivation, at this moment, all transformed into the most brilliant light on that perfect foundation of the Dao.

The deathly silence in the training room was broken by a long breath.

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes.

In that instant, it was as if two miniature golden suns ignited deep within his pupils, their brilliant light flashing and disappearing before finally fading into the deep blackness, like a starry sky containing the entire universe.

He quietly looked inward at his own body. It was a wondrous feeling of completeness and perfection that he had never experienced before.

In his perception, his physical body was no longer merely a collection of flesh and bones, but a vast sea of ​​stars.

The 360 ​​"Great Sun Apertures" are like 360 ​​eternal stars, arranged according to a mysterious and unpredictable pattern, forming a perfect, three-dimensional "Great Sun Star Chart".

This star chart is the most perfect foundation of martial arts that he spent forty years building for himself, enduring endless pain and loneliness!
"Om-"

Even without him actively circulating his cultivation technique, the spiritual energy around him spontaneously formed a visible tide.

The pure spiritual energy was absorbed by every pore on his body, circulating, purifying, and strengthening in the three hundred and sixty "Great Sun Apertures," and then a portion of the energy containing his life imprint was slowly expelled.

Each breath in and out constitutes a highly efficient cycle of spiritual practice.

His entire body, with the 360 ​​acupoints corresponding to the sun, was emitting a faint golden light, like 360 ​​miniature, ever-renewing stars, filled with holiness and majesty.

He simply sat there, like a deity suppressing a divine kingdom.

"Hamer."

Qin Feng's voice rang out in the cultivation room, which had been empty for seventeen years, carrying a hint of hoarseness from not speaking for a long time.

"Master, Hammer is here."

Hammer responded immediately.

"How many years have passed since I went into seclusion?"

“Reporting to Master, it has been seventeen years and one month since you began your highest level of seclusion.”

Seventeen years...

Even though Qin Feng's mind was as firm as a rock, he couldn't help but feel a ripple in his heart when he heard this number.

It has been forty years since I enrolled.

I am already fifty-seven years old.

"Hamer, have there been any important events recently?"

he continued to ask.

"Based on priority, there are still six months until the official start of the new 'Canaan Newcomer Cup'. The system has detected that your cultivation level meets the eligibility requirements for the Level 4 competition zone. Would you like to register you?"

"Canaan Newcomer Cup..."

A hint of reminiscence flashed in Qin Feng's eyes.

He recalled the rookie cup he participated in when he first entered university.

Back then, I was so weak that I was instantly defeated in the first round by a "veteran" freshman, Zou Yun.

In his second Rookie Cup, he won the uncrowned Rookie of the Year award.

The third time, I didn't participate; the fourth time, I missed it again due to seclusion; and this is the fifth time.

"Sign up."

Qin Feng said calmly.

"Instruction confirmed. Registration for 'Level 4 Competition Zone' successful. Your competition number is: K-4-9527."

Qin Feng paid no attention to the number; his thoughts had already drifted far away.

He calculated it carefully.

The entrance exam and initial adjustment period took nearly a year.

After his first crushing defeat, he went into seclusion for three years.

After the Rookie Cup, he went into seclusion for another twelve years.

Then came two years of missions, plus this seventeen-year period...

Unbeknownst to me, forty years have passed since I entered this highest institution of learning in the universe.

His life also spanned from the age of seventeen to fifty-seven.

What an exaggerated time span!

Qin Feng was filled with mixed emotions.

For the past forty years, he has spent almost all of his time in seclusion and asceticism.

He missed out on too much of the outside world's scenery and gave up too much of the worldly pleasures. His world was compressed down to just one thing: cultivation and becoming stronger.

does it worth?
When he sensed the perfect, flawless star map formed by the 360 ​​major sun apertures within his body, he had his answer.

worth it.

Low-level desires for pleasure should be abandoned by martial artists.

"Otherwise, you will fall into Slaanesh's arms."

Qin Feng kept himself constantly alert.

He would rather be seduced by Khorne than by Slaanesh.

Fighting and honor are the path of a martial artist.

"The original plan was to complete the development of 360 acupoints within 30 years, but in the end we still couldn't do it."

He thought to himself, "However, to have completed this journey in forty years is still quite extraordinary."

After all, according to official data released by the Imperial Martial Arts Academy, the average cultivation time for the enlightenment stage of a "top-grade enlightenment method" like the "Great Sun Enlightenment Method" is one hundred years.

He used less than half the time.

"So, now I am..."

With a thought, Qin Feng brought up his own vitality index test.

A pale blue light screen unfolded before him, and a line of clear numbers appeared on it.

Vitality Index: 3600.0

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow slightly upon seeing the number.

"3600 points? It's not 3630 points."

Based on the basic conversion of 10 points of vitality index provided by one Great Sun Aperture, the total of 360 Great Sun Apertures, plus the 30 points he gained when he broke through to level four, should be 3630 points.

But at this moment, the index is stuck at the integer 3600.

"I see……"

Qin Feng quickly figured out the key to the problem.

He clearly felt that there was an invisible, incredibly strong shackle within his physical body. This shackle firmly locked his life level at the critical point of 3600.

No matter how surging the energy within him was, he couldn't make that number jump up even by 0.1.

"This must be the 'minor limit' outside of the legendary 'four major limits' in martial arts cultivation."

In the path of martial arts, there are "four limits" before reaching the planetary level, namely 1.8, 3.6, 7.2, and 10 vitality index.

Within these four limits, when a martial artist cultivates a certain realm to its true peak and perfection, they will also encounter a "minor limit." Only by opening up the next path and successfully merging the acupoints can their vitality index break through this shackle of 3600 and continue to advance rapidly.

The next path is the fifth level, the "Harmony Realm".

Without hesitation, Qin Feng immediately opened the Imperial Trading Post and entered the name of the cultivation technique he had long desired from the vast list of goods.

Soon, a line of golden text appeared before his eyes.

[Supreme Refining Technique: The Great Sun Union Technique]

[Introduction: This is an advanced technique of the "Great Sun Aperture Opening Method." Practicing this method allows one to combine the 360 ​​already opened "Great Sun Apertures" in pairs, ultimately condensing them into a single "Great Sun Elemental Aperture," laying the most solid foundation for advancing to the sixth level of the Soaring Realm.]

[Exchange Requirements: Completion of the "Great Sun Awakening Method"]

Price: 7000 contribution points

"Seven thousand contribution points..."

Qin Feng currently has only 1209 contribution points remaining.

"But it's soon."

His gaze returned to the registration information for the "Canaan Newcomer Cup".

According to the rules, the Rookie Cup is held every ten years and is divided into different competition zones such as Level 4, Level 5, and Level 6.

To incentivize students, the champion of each region receives a huge reward of up to 10,000 contribution points.

"With my current skill level, I should be able to easily take first place in the Tier 4 division."

Qin Feng made a decision in his mind: "With these 10,000 contribution points in hand, the starting capital for the fifth level of the Qi Integration Realm will be completely solved."

The plan is clear.

Qin Feng's mood also relaxed.

He closed the trading post and instead had Hammer pull up the latest trending information from the campus forum. At the same time, he also opened the "Canaan Starry Sky Wuhan University Private Domain Forum" in the subspace network, intending to find out what had happened in the outside world over the past seventeen years.

Like a hermit who had been isolated from the world for a long time, he quietly flipped through the scrolling posts, feeling the long-lost warmth of everyday life.

Before long, Qin Feng's gaze was drawn to a popular post with a rather eye-catching title. As he looked at it, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

[Post Title]: #BigRogueBehavior! Senior Zhou Run is still entrenched in the Level 4 competition area, claiming he's going to squeeze out one last wave of profits! #
[Original Poster]: An insider here! According to reliable sources, Zhou Run, who has consistently dominated various competitions in the Level 4 region, stated in a recent public interview that he has completed the full opening of the Nine Revolutions Golden Apertures, and his Vitality Index has officially reached the perfect 3600 points. However, he does not plan to advance immediately, but instead intends to participate in this year's Rookie Cup one last time to claim the 10,000 contribution points prize as starting capital for his attempt to reach the Level 5 Harmony Aperture Realm!
[1L - Disciplinary Committee Member]: Shocking! Senior Zhou Run is such a scoundrel! Has he no shame?! Give the newbies a break!

【2L - Anonymous Gambler】: 6666, I knew he was going to keep going! I've already gone all in on Chow Yun-fat to win the championship! A villa by the sea!
【3L-Rational Guest】: To be fair, the reason why there have only been "uncrowned new kings" in recent years is because old monsters like Zhou Run and Zheng Dong, who have cultivated the ultimate enlightenment method, have been lingering on. Their vitality index has long surpassed that of others.

[4L - Stop the bashing]: Alright, alright, what can we do? He's practicing a top-tier enlightenment method. It's allowed by the rules, and he didn't break any rules. Besides, Senior Zhou Run said this is the last time; after this, he'll go to the Level 5 competition. Let's just consider it paying homage to a legend.

……

As Qin Feng read the replies, some teasing, some complaining, and some admiring, his smile deepened.

He was very familiar with the name Zhou Run.

Back then, he rationally withdrew from the competition before the final of the Rookie Cup, and the final championship and runner-up were swept by Zhou Run and another old monster named "Zheng Dong".

Unexpectedly, after so many years, Zheng Dong, perhaps because he is too proud, would rather carry out high-risk missions than fight in the fourth-level competition area again. He has probably already advanced to the fifth-level Harmony Realm.

Only this senior Zhou Run is truly shameless. Just like me, he is pragmatic and comes out every ten years to fleece the champion of the Rookie Cup without fail.

"However, this time, it won't be so easy to get the wool."

A hint of amusement flashed in Qin Feng's eyes. "I've got my eye on this piece of meat too. Let's see who's stronger."

He continued browsing the posts with great interest.

With the Canaan Newcomer Cup about to begin, the forums are already flooded with promotional posts.

The most popular one is the "Top Contenders Ranking," jointly launched by several data analysis teams and betting companies based on the performance and historical records of various well-known students.

Qin Feng glanced at the leaderboard of the fourth-tier competition area. Zhou Run's name was unsurprisingly at the top of the list, with odds that were outrageously low.

His own name, having not appeared in public for seventeen years, has long since disappeared from the list and has been completely forgotten.

He simply laughed it off.

Next, he clicked on the ranking post of the top players in the fifth-level competition area, and a familiar name suddenly appeared in his eyes.

"Stone Man - Shi Dang".

"A newly emerging top expert in the Level 5 competition area, born from the Morning Star, possessing the rare bloodline of the Stone Clan, with innate divine strength and unparalleled physical defense. He is also a person with a firm will and astonishingly exquisite killing techniques, having cultivated several killing techniques to the point of mastery."

"Current strength prediction: He has completed all the training of the fifth level of the Qi Integration Realm and is about to advance to the sixth level of the Sky Soaring Warrior. He is a strong contender for the championship of this year's fifth level competition area!"

Looking at Shi Dang's introduction, Qin Feng couldn't help but do some mental calculations.

Shi Dang entered school three years later than him.

In other words, during the more than 30 years that he was in seclusion, Shi Dang actually surpassed him and completed the two complete martial arts realms of opening and closing the aperture, and is now standing on the threshold of breaking through to the sixth level of the Sky-Soaring Realm.

The average advancement time for the Opening Acupoint Realm and the Harmony Acupoint Realm, as announced by the Empire, is thirty years, totaling sixty years.

Shi Dang, on the other hand, only took thirty-seven years, which is just over half the average time.

"What a genius! And incredibly hardworking."

Qin Feng admired it in his heart.

Of course, if you calculate it, he only took forty years to complete the Opening Realm, less than half the average time, so his speed is still overwhelming.

However, this does not negate Shi Dang's talent and diligence.

The "fellow villager" whom he had once defeated in a single move had now grown into a powerful figure, which brought Qin Feng a sense of relief.

I just don't know if I can still kill this "fellow villager" in one move now.

Qin Feng thought it was possible, because even after opening all the acupoints and closing them with the superior method of opening the acupoints, the vitality index would only reach 1080.

The gap in hard power is too big.

He then looked at the trending news that Hammer had compiled for him and found that most of it revolved around the Canaan Newcomer Cup.

In addition, there are some discussions about a higher-spec "Starry Sky Cup".

However, the Starry Sky Cup is a stage prepared for true powerhouses who are at level seven or above and can skillfully use their mental power in combat.

The posts discussed all sorts of unbelievable mental power killing techniques and willpower confrontations, which Qin Feng couldn't understand yet, so he didn't pay much attention to them.

After shutting down the subspace forum, Qin Feng stretched, his bones cracking and popping.

"We still have six months left, we can't waste it."

His gaze fell on his killing technique panel, specifically on the level two killing technique that he had always kept hidden away.

"Cold Light"!
Previously, he had been too busy accumulating contribution points through seclusion and hadn't had time to practice this level-two spear technique, which was personally recommended by his mentor Yu Han and perfectly aligned with his martial arts philosophy.

Qin Feng felt that there really wasn't enough time.

Now is the perfect time to master it completely in the last six months before the competition begins.

"Oh, right."

A thought suddenly popped into my head.

"I need to call my father and ask him."

He opened his contacts and saw his father Qin Dahai's profile picture.

The most recent message was from a few months ago. It was very simple; it just said that everyone was safe and sound and that everything was fine at home.

As Qin Feng looked at those lines of text, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

He thought about it for a moment, but ultimately decided not to make the call immediately.

"Let's play before the match."

He made a decision.

Now that I have just emerged from seclusion, I am full of vigor and ambition, making this the perfect time to hone my killing techniques.

Once you've made a phone call and started chatting about everyday things, it's easy to get distracted.

"Hamer, enter the Imperial Arena."

He issued the order.

"Remind me the day before the competition."

"Yes, Master."

As the words "Yes, Master" echoed in his mind, the dormitory scene before Qin Feng's eyes rippled like water rippled after a pebble was thrown in, then transformed into countless streams of dazzling data that completely engulfed him.

The next moment, he found himself on a vast platform filled with the cold, metallic texture of metal.

This is the Imperial Arena.

Here, only the purest martial arts skills and fighting will prevail.

Qin Feng skillfully opened the arena's settings interface.

[ID: Qin]

[Battle Mode: Ranked Match]

[Vitality Index Locked at: 500.0]

[Weapon Selection: Standard Alloy Rifle]

[Armor Selection: Light Combat Suit]

He set his vitality index at a value that was neither too high nor too low, but best reflected the overall strength of a fourth-level Qi Opening Realm martial artist—500 points.

This value is enough to support him in using most of his killing techniques, but it will not overshadow any flaws in his skills due to excessive power.

What he needs to do is not to crush, but to hone.

He honed the second-level spear technique he had placed high hopes on, yet had never had time to practice—"Cold Light."

[Settings saved, matching you with an opponent...]

Match successful! Opponent from: Terra Core Region - Pegasus Galaxy

[Scene being randomly generated... Scene: Roman Colosseum]

With a cold notification sound, the metal platform in front of Qin Feng rapidly changed.

The cold metal has been transformed into ancient yellow sand and stone bricks, and towering circular stands have risen all around, as if one could hear the deafening cheers of tens of thousands of spectators.

A hundred meters away from him, a burly figure, also clad in light armor and wielding a massive battle axe, materialized.

The battle is about to break out.

Thus began a six-month-long, grueling ordeal that pitted the entire empire against its own will.

The first month was the most difficult and devastating for Qin Feng.

The core principle of the spear technique "Cold Light" lies in the creation and accumulation of "momentum".

Its starting move seems unremarkable, just a simple and direct thrust.

But this stab was not intended to kill the enemy, but to plant a seed of "cold light" around them.

Once this seed is planted, every subsequent attack will amplify and strengthen this "cold gleam."

Guns will become faster and heavier.

The enemy, on the other hand, would feel as if they were sinking into a shrinking, icy quagmire made up of countless gunshots, their movements becoming increasingly sluggish, their minds increasingly depressed, until finally they were pierced through by a single shot.

This is a typical snowballing strategy, where the more you play, the stronger you become, and the more you fight, the braver you are.

But initially, Qin Feng couldn't find that feeling at all.

His first opponent, an axe warrior from the Pegasus Galaxy, had a wild and domineering fighting style.

Qin Feng's first thrust was easily deflected by his opponent's giant axe. Immediately afterwards, a storm of slashes followed.

Qin Feng attempted to block with the defensive stance of the [Thousand Army Spear], but found that with a vitality index of 500 points, his strength was simply insufficient to contend with that heavy axe.

He tried to dodge using the unpredictable technique of the Dragon Serpent Spear, but his opponent accurately predicted and locked him down.

The battle lasted less than thirty seconds before Qin Feng's light armor was cleaved open by the giant axe, and his entire body dissipated into specks of light.

[The battle has ended; you have lost.]

Qin Feng was not discouraged and immediately started the second match.

The opponent is an agile female swordsman wielding two swords.

Her swordsmanship was like mercury flowing across the ground, penetrating everywhere. Qin Feng's "Cold Light" seed didn't even have time to be planted before he was overwhelmed by the dazzling sword light of his opponent, and was ultimately killed by a single sword to the throat.

[The battle has ended; you have lost.]

In the third match, the opponent was a warrior from a military formation who used a shield and a short spear. His fighting style was as steady as a mountain and watertight.

Qin Feng's spear was completely unable to penetrate the opponent's shield defense.

……

For the next month, Qin Feng spent almost all his time in a losing streak.

He maintains a high-intensity schedule of nearly three hundred battles every day, with opponents from all corners of the empire and a wide variety of fighting styles.

There are psionicists skilled in mental attacks, cyborgs with modified mechanical prosthetics, and martial artists whose hand-to-hand combat skills are unparalleled...

He was like a sponge, frantically absorbing the combat experience from these different schools of thought.

He began to abandon his already mastered level one marksmanship and forced himself to use only the moves of "Cold Light".

Instead of pursuing victory, we treat every failure as a valuable opportunity for trial and error.

After several days of failures, one day, when he faced an opponent who also used a spear, he had a sudden inspiration. Just as the tip of the opponent's spear was about to reach his body, he presented the tip of his spear at an unbelievable angle.

Ding!
A soft sound.

The tips of the two spears collided precisely.

The ensuing battle unfolded smoothly and effortlessly.

His marksmanship became faster and faster.

Meanwhile, the gunman on the other side became increasingly frustrated, feeling as if his gun weighed a ton, making each swing incredibly sluggish.

In the end, Qin Feng ended the battle with a clean and decisive throat-piercing spear thrust.

[Match ended. Congratulations on your victory!]

Although he lost more than 9,000 matches in this month, the "Cold Light" spear technique finally opened the door to mastery in his hands.

Once you get the hang of it, the path ahead becomes clear.

Qin Feng is no longer the rookie who gets beaten up everywhere.

He fought a fierce battle for a full ten minutes against a heavily armored warrior wielding a giant hammer.

Like a tireless hummingbird, he circled that "Iron Mountain," stabbing it thousands upon thousands of times.

Each shot left an inconspicuous white dot on the opponent's thick armor, and also a chilling feeling that grew stronger with each shot.

When the ten thousandth spear thrust out, the sturdy heavy armor shattered instantly, like glass doused with liquid nitrogen, revealing the terrified warrior inside.

He learned how to break through from a single point.

His fighting became increasingly methodical.

He was like a skilled chess player who made a crucial move at the start, then steadily built up his advantage, ultimately leading his opponent into a hopeless situation.

His win rate also climbed from a dismal less than 10% at the beginning to 30%, 40%...

In his hands, the spear technique "Cold Light" had already reached the "minor mastery" level.

His fighting began to become faster and easier.

On the last day of the fifth month, when he used a spear technique that combined "Cold Light" and "Thousand Army Spears" to pin a powerful opponent to the wall, he knew that "Cold Light" had reached its "mastery" in his hands.

His marksmanship, however, became increasingly refined and polished through these life-and-death trials, returning to its original simplicity.

Finally, with only a few days left before the start of the competition, he was matched with a top-tier opponent.

That man also used a long spear, his spear technique was upright and majestic, every move exuding the air of a master.

From the start of the battle, the two were locked in a pure contest of marksmanship.

Each clash of the gun tips produced a burst of brilliant sparks.

The opponent remained steadfast, using the most solid defense to neutralize Qin Feng's increasingly rapid and powerful attacks.

The battle lasted for a full half hour.

He felt as if the spear in his hand had transformed into a giant dragon that devoured everything.

Although his opponent was sweating and breathing was becoming rapid, his defense remained as steady as a mountain and impenetrable.

Qin Feng knew that conventional moves were no longer enough to defeat his opponent.

Images of tens of thousands of battles fought over the past six months flashed through his mind.

I flashed through all the insights I gained from learning "Cold Light" to mastering it.

Ultimately, all the images and all the insights were frozen at one point.

That is—the starting stance.

That seemingly ordinary yet fundamental first thrust.

A glint of cold light.

It dawned on him.

The true essence of "Cold Light" lies not in the later, stormy accumulation, but in the initial, earth-shattering... "one point"!
That little bit is the cause.

Everything that follows is the result.

When the cause is powerful enough, the effect will naturally be irresistible.

To seize the initiative, one must strike first with a single, sharp glint of light! Only when this "first strike" is perfectly achieved can a barrage of attacks follow like a storm of dragons!

At that moment, Qin Feng's aura completely subsided, flowing back into the alloy spear in his hand like rivers flowing into the sea, and finally condensing on the small, three-inch-long spear tip.

His opponent, the master marksman, suddenly had his pupils shrink to their maximum size!

He sensed an unprecedented and potentially deadly crisis!
He saw that Qin Feng had moved.

There were no fancy moves, no impressive momentum.

He simply fired a shot forward.

But this shot seemed to pierce through time and space.

In the grandmaster's eyes, all that remained was that one point of cold, icy light that was getting closer and brighter.

He tried to block, but it was too late to react.

And that incredibly fast flash of cold light was all for the sake of the next spear thrust that was as swift as a dragon!

Qin Feng had already gained the initiative, and what followed was a barrage of attacks. His spear roared like a dragon, and his opponent was completely defeated in less than ten rounds.

[Your killing technique, "Cold Light," has reached its ultimate sublimation in the heat of battle, its realm elevated to: Perfection!]

[You have successfully mastered the ultimate move of "Cold Light"—[A Glimmer of Cold Light]!]

A bit of cold light arrived first, and then the gun shot out like a dragon!

This move, once unleashed, maximizes the initiative, forcefully locking onto and suppressing the opponent, creating an absolute "control" advantage for subsequent combos. With this advantage, subsequent marksmanship will receive a huge boost, becoming stronger and more formidable as the battle progresses!

Qin Feng slowly lowered his gun and exhaled a long breath of white air.

After six months of arduous study, I finally achieved perfection.

He glanced at his Imperial Arena panel, where the data had undergone a dramatic transformation.

[ID: Qin]

【Rank: 2nd Dan (350 points)】

Total matches: 65049

Total wins: 35776

Total losses: 29273

[Win rate: 55.00%]

[Self-introduction: A practitioner of the Thousand-Army Spear technique]

[Rating (999+): A respectable opponent; a master of the Thousand-Army Spear? What the heck is the Fierce Owl Style? This kid is dishonest...]

For nearly six months, he fought nearly 300 battles every day, totaling more than 50,000 battles!
The win rate has stabilized at 55%.

This data is enough to prove the incredible effort he has put in over the past six months.

"Hamer, leave the arena."

At his command, the surrounding world once again vanished as a stream of data.

The six-month-long marksmanship training has come to an end.

And a truly grand and highly anticipated event is about to unfold in reality.

"Hamer, how long until the rookie cup?"

"Master, the competition starts in three days."

(End of this chapter)