"Given your ’monstrous’ talent, I’d imagine your life force index... has it already reached the 200-point mark?"

He voiced the question on his mind—the very one that everyone present was most concerned about.

points!

It was a bold guess, to say the least.

The higher the life force index, the harder it was to raise.

The gap between 80 and 200 points was far greater than the gap between 1 and 80 points combined.

Xiong Yanfu and the others held their breath, their eyes fixed on Qin Feng.

They, too, wanted to know just what terrifying level this "monster," who had been in seclusion for a full three years, had reached.

Facing four pairs of eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation, Qin Feng set down his jade chopsticks.

He didn’t keep them in suspense, nor did he show any hint of showing off.

"I made a little progress."

He started with the same understated opening as before, then announced a number that made them all lose their composure instantly.

"It’s already 532."

...

It was as if time itself had been paused in that moment.

A piece of golden-brown, fragrant "tenderloin" that Lei Meng had just picked up CLATTERED back onto the plate.

His mouth hung open wide enough to fit a fist, his eyes were as wide as saucers, and his face was a mask of "Who am I? Where am I? What did I just hear?"

The signature, unwavering smile on Xiong Yanfu’s face completely froze.

His hand, resting on the table, was trembling slightly. The shock in his eyes was beyond description.

Even Tie Mu’s face, usually as stoic as a mountain, showed a crack for the first time.

The corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

But the one who was undoubtedly hit the hardest was Shi Potian, who had been full of fighting spirit just a moment ago.

The pride, the Battle Intent, the anticipation... every expression on his face shattered and vanished the instant he heard the number "532."

First, a flicker of extreme, absurd, and utter confusion flashed through his sharp eyes, as if he were doubting his own ears.

Immediately after, the confusion turned into horror.

Finally, all emotion drained away, replaced by a bottomless void of blankness and bitterness.

’F-five... five hundred and thirty-two points?’

"A monster..."

After a long, long time, Shi Potian finally managed to force out that single word from his dry throat.

"PFFT—"

"I... I take back what I said. You’re not a freak, and you’re not a monster..."

Xiong Yanfu shook his head with a bitter smile. "You’re a goddamn Immortal!"

"Boss, you’re not kidding, are you?"

Lei Meng finally found his voice, his face a picture of disbelief.

Qin Feng just looked at them calmly without speaking, but his gaze said it all.

’It’s true.’

After this silent confirmation, the private room once again fell into a dead silence.

This time, it was again Shi Potian who broke the silence.

"A life force index of 530... Does that mean you’re about to merge your Acupoints?"

Shi Potian asked.

"No, I practice a Top-grade Acupoint Opening Technique. I’m still a long way from merging my Acupoints."

Qin Feng shook his head.

Shi Potian was stunned.

The Vast Sea Acupoint Opening Technique he practiced was an Upper-grade Acupoint Opening Technique. Its cultivation limit was one hundred and eight Acupoints.

Each successfully opened and filled Vast Sea Acupoint increased one’s life force index by about 5 points.

The technique Qin Feng practiced was a Top-grade Acupoint Opening Technique, which required opening not one hundred and eight Acupoints, but a full three hundred and sixty!

Its cultivation difficulty and resource consumption were ten, or even dozens of times, greater than an Upper-grade technique!

But once successful, the rewards were also immense!

When all three hundred and sixty Acupoint Shells reached Perfection, a Martial Artist’s theoretical maximum life force index, before they began to merge Acupoints, would reach... three thousand six hundred points!

Additionally, Martial Artists who practice a Top-grade Acupoint Opening Technique find it easier to advance to the Planetary Level than those who practice an Upper-grade one.

After becoming a Qiming General Star, Shi Potian had agonized over whether to learn a Top-grade or an Upper-grade Acupoint Opening Technique, ultimately choosing the latter.

He didn’t have the temperament to spend a hundred years as a Level 4 Martial Artist.

He never imagined that Qin Feng had chosen a Top-grade technique from the very beginning.

What Shi Potian didn’t know was that Qin Feng hadn’t actually chosen an Acupoint Opening Method at all. A Top-grade Acupoint Opening Technique was part of his reward for becoming a Qiming General Star that year, so he simply used it.

"In that case..."

Xiong Yanfu’s eyes suddenly lit up. As if he had thought of a crucial piece of information, he slapped his thigh!

He said excitedly, "Based on all the registration information and intel I’ve gathered, among the students participating in the Fourth Level Division this year, it seems... there are only three who are practicing a ’Top-grade Acupoint Opening Technique’."

"Everyone else is practicing an ’Upper-grade Acupoint Opening Technique’. Their maximum life force index, at the absolute highest, is only 570 points!"

"With your current strength... Old Qin, you have a real shot at a top spot in the Newcomer Cup’s Fourth Level Division this time!"

Xiong Yanfu said excitedly, "Your only opponents are those three guys practicing Top-grade Acupoint Opening Techniques."

"..."

Lei Meng’s eyes lit up too, and he was practically drooling. "I remember, the prize for the Newcomer Cup champion is something like..."

"Ten Thousand Contribution Points!"

Xiong Yanfu stated unequivocally, holding up one finger. "Five thousand for second place, three thousand for third, and one thousand for fourth."

These numbers made everyone present, including Qin Feng, hold their breath.

"I’ve looked into those three ’monsters’ who are practicing ’Top-grade Acupoint Opening Techniques’."

"Two of them have life force indices over 3,000..."

"One enrolled ninety-three years ago."

"The other, one hundred and two years ago."

"Don’t even think about those two. You can’t beat them. The third one enrolled forty-five years ago. The latest intel is from a mission two years ago, where his life force index was 480. He’s probably around the same level as you now."

"Old Qin, you should just aim for third place."