Grinding to Become the Master of the Universe

They could clearly sense that every person beneath the power armor was an elite who had climbed, step by step, out of a genuine mountain of corpses and sea of blood.

As the five chiefs were reeling in shock, Qin Feng spoke.

His voice was calm and powerful.

"These are Subspace Network Passes."

One of his squad members stepped forward and neatly stacked several alloy cases on the conference table. The cases contained one hundred thousand passes that resembled black crystal cards.

"Drip your blood on it, and it will automatically detect your genetic sequence to generate a unique Imperial citizen ID number. Afterward, the card will liquefy and form a wrist-mounted terminal for you to wear."

"These one hundred thousand passes are all configured the same. I have already unlocked four basic permissions for you: the Imperial Forum, Subspace Network travel, the Imperial Arena, and the Imperial Trading House."

"If you need more in the future, you can purchase them from the Imperial Trading House. Each pass costs one hundred thousand Imperial Coins."

Qin Feng paused before continuing, "What you need to do now is unlock your passes and then go check out the Imperial Forum for yourselves. You’ll find the answers to everything about the Empire there. We won’t explain any further."

The five strongest individuals on Blue Star exchanged a silent glance, then each picked up a black crystal card from the table.

They did as Qin Feng said, pricking their fingertips and letting a drop of blood fall onto the card.

Something miraculous happened.

The moment the hard card came into contact with their blood, it dissolved like ice, transforming into a pool of black liquid. The liquid flowed slowly down their wrists, finally coalescing into a seamless, futuristic black wristband.

A soft screen of light projected from the surface of the wristband, forming a virtual user interface.

With a mix of trepidation and awe, the five of them followed the on-screen prompts and opened the section labeled "Imperial Forum."

In an instant, a vast, unprecedented, and boundless new world exploded into view before them.

The entire conference hall fell completely silent.

The only sounds were the five chiefs’ increasingly ragged breaths and the complex light flickering in their eyes—a mixture of confusion, shock, amazement, and wild joy.

This continued for a long time.

A full several hours later, when they finally managed to tear themselves away from the overwhelming torrent of information, the look in their eyes had completely changed.

They now possessed a basic, yet utterly world-shattering, preliminary understanding of the vast civilization known as the Cosmic Human Empire.

"Might I ask, Sir..."

Chief "Tianji" was the first to recover from his shock.

He looked at Qin Feng, his tone filled with unprecedented reverence and humility.

"According to the classifications on the forum, are you a legendary ’Planetary-level’ Martial Artist?"

"Mm."

Qin Feng gave a slight nod, adding succinctly, "They are all Ninth-level Extreme Martial Artists."

Upon receiving his confirmation, the five men’s breath hitched once again.

They fell silent for a moment. Finally, it was Chief "Panshi" who, on behalf of them all, asked the question they were most concerned with and most desperate to have answered.

"Sir, is there... any possibility for people like us to advance further?"

His voice trembled slightly with excitement and anticipation.

Having witnessed the grandeur of the Cosmos, the prosperity of the Human Empire, and having gained a preliminary understanding of the boundless Star Sea and the flourishing Martial Dao, no Martial Artist could resist the primal urge to grow stronger, to set foot in the Star Sea themselves!

It was an instinct engraved deep within the human genome!

Qin Feng’s gaze swept slowly over the five men.

At his current level, he could perceive the condition of their bodies with a single glance.

He said in a low voice, "Your bodies... you have too many hidden injuries from years of crudely forcing out your potential. Many of your meridians are blocked and have already begun to decay. In your current condition, trying to open and merge more apertures would be nigh impossible..."

Hearing this damning verdict, the spark of hope that had just ignited in their eyes instantly dimmed.

However, just as they began to despair, Qin Feng’s tone suddenly shifted.

’He remembered how, many years ago on Qiming Star, in the small Extreme Martial Arts Hall, the Sun Chan Hall Master had used the miraculous Ten-Complete Hand to treat his damaged foundation, uprooting the problem and reshaping his Martial Dao path.’

’He also remembered his middle school head teacher, Li Weiguo, telling him in earnest, "One day in the future, when you stand in a high place, perhaps a single, casual action on your part could save a young person who was once depressed and unfulfilled, just like you."’

’These men before him were long past their youth, of course.’

’But they were a group of living, breathing Martial Artists who had braved life and death, willing to burn themselves out to protect their civilization.’

"Ah, never mind."

A flicker of emotion passed through Qin Feng’s heart. He said slowly, "Actually... there is a way."

The five men snapped their heads up, the light of hope flaring in their eyes once more.

"Each of you will give me one of your self-created killing arts. In exchange, I will help recondition your bodies and treat your hidden injuries.

However, how much you ultimately recover will depend on your own individual fortune."

’With my current strength, which is worlds beyond what it once was, and my Ten-Complete Hand at a proficiency of one point, helping a few Martial Artists whose vitality indexes have just barely broken a hundred to treat their hidden injuries should be more than enough,’ Qin Feng mused.