Grinding to Become the Master of the Universe

Then, it was as if the three of them had broken free from some kind of shackle. First, they grinned, then they broke into silent, wholehearted laughter. As they laughed, scalding tears began to slide from the corners of their eyes.

The moment the tears appeared, they were instantly evaporated by the high temperature of their powerful bodies, turning into wisps of white steam.

Those were tears for the departed Lei Meng, tears for the great stone that had weighed on their hearts for so many years finally being lifted, tears for an enmity that had lasted for centuries finally coming to an end.

"Come on! Drink!"

Xiong Yanfu snatched up the flagon on the table, pouring a full cup for everyone—and for the empty seat.

"To Lei Meng!"

"To Old Qin!"

"Cheers!"

The four cups clashed together.

The burden they had carried for so many years was finally, in this moment, lifted.

After that, the mood became incredibly light, and Qin Feng asked about what they had gained from their years in seclusion.

Although Xiong Yanfu, Shi Potian, and Tiemu were all considered prodigies on their home planets, hailed by the title of "General Star."

But here at Canaan Star Martial Arts University, a den of monsters that drew geniuses from countless star systems, nearly every student had once been a "General Star" back home. In this place, their talent was nothing special.

It had now been exactly one hundred years since they enrolled.

Through their own hard work and combat, they had diligently completed missions to earn Contribution Points for their training in seclusion. Not long ago, they had finally raised their life force indexes to the "first great limit" of 18,000 points.

All that was left was the final accumulation and breakthrough, and they would officially enter the ranks of Level 7 Mountain and Sea Warriors.

This pace was already considered a cut above average among the hundreds of millions of students at Canaan Star Martial Arts University.

What was even more impressive was how balanced their progress was. While steadily increasing their life force indexes, they hadn’t neglected their combat techniques in the slightest, building an incredibly solid foundation.

This reminded Qin Feng of his two cousins, the brothers Wang Hao and Wang Jie from Du Na Star Martial Arts University.

At their university, they held the highest-level S-rank contracts. All their training resources were provided directly by the school, so they didn’t have to worry about earning them.

Their rate of progress was even faster than that of Shi Potian and his friends.

If one had to compare the two training models, the geniuses cultivated by the Top 100 Star Martial Arts Universities were more like flowers in a greenhouse.

Their practical combat skills came almost exclusively from virtual matches in the Starry Sky Cup and the Imperial Arena. Their understanding of true life-and-death battles and the cruelty of the True Cosmos was comparatively shallow.

In contrast, the training model at a university like Canaan Star Martial Arts University—a regional powerhouse that dominated its galaxy—was far better suited to the cold and cruel True Cosmos.

From their very first day, students had to fight for their lives, facing death head-on just to earn Contribution Points.

As for survival rates in the dark cosmos, the students who graduated from Canaan Star Martial Arts University would undoubtedly last longer.

’Qin Feng still preferred Canaan Star Martial Arts University’s training model. After all, once a Martial Artist reached the Planet-level, they gained a ten-thousand-year lifespan. At the Star-level, they were practically immortal.’

’It didn’t matter if it took a thousand years to get through Levels 1-9! The Canaan Students, forged in blood and fire, would never have their resolve shaken!’

"Qin Feng, we’re all almost at Level 7 now."

Shi Potian looked at Qin Feng and asked curiously, "What about you? At your pace, you must be close to breaking through to the Planet-level Martial Artist realm by now, right? Or... have you already made it?"

"I’m already Planet-level."

Qin Feng smiled and replied calmly, "My graduation application has been approved, too."

"That’s so fast!"

Shi Potian couldn’t help but marvel, "You haven’t even been enrolled for a hundred years, and you’re already graduating?"

"It’s been exactly one hundred years, I think."

Xiong Yanfu counted on his fingers for a moment, then looked at Qin Feng in shock. "Old Qin, your rate of improvement is just too fast! It’s scary fast! I bet that’s considered quick even in Canaan’s entire two-billion-year history."

"Ah, enough about that, enough about that!"

Tiemu laughed, raising his cup and cutting through their awe. "After today, Old Qin will probably be leaving Canaan for places far beyond. Let’s make this meal our farewell toast to Old Qin, from all of us brothers!"

He stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally landing on the cup that had been set out for Lei Meng.

"To Old Qin! May your name ring throughout the Star River, and may your martial path be ever prosperous!"

"Well said!"

"To Old Qin’s prosperous martial path!"

Xiong Yanfu and Shi Potian also rose to their feet, smiling as they toasted Qin Feng.

The mood reached a fever pitch.

Next to them, the cup of wine left for the departed remained silently full.

-----------------

All good things must come to an end.

When the last farewell drink at Taotie Residence was finished, Qin Feng and his three dear friends—Shi Potian, Xiong Yanfu, and Tiemu—said their final goodbyes at the entrance to the Food God District.

There weren’t many sorrowful words—just the sincere blessings of brothers and a tight embrace.

They all knew that after this parting, it might be years, or even decades, before they met again.

Qin Feng was embarking on a path far grander than their own, while they would remain at Canaan, continuing their arduous cultivation and striving to catch up to the figure already disappearing into the distance.

After saying goodbye to his old friends, Qin Feng didn’t linger.

He made his way alone to the massive spaceport of Canaan Star Martial Arts University, a colossal structure capable of docking tens of thousands of starships at once.