Chapter 136 - 121: Challenging the Afterimage 2

"And this one, from Star River Military Affiliated High School..."

Qian Duoduo rattled them off, introducing one top genius after another, all of them renowned on Planet Qiming.

"According to the intel I’ve gathered, this year, across all of Qiming, the graduating seniors from all the Martial Arts High Schools with a life force index of 30.0 or higher total more than four thousand people! You could say it’s the most stacked class in the last decade!"

"However..."

Qian Duoduo’s tone shifted, a knowing ’but’ written all over his face.

He swiped all the files on those geniuses to the side. Then, he placed the lone screenshot of Qin Feng’s data, the one displaying his "Dual Control" killing skills, right in the center.

"They still can’t compare to you."

Qian Duoduo’s voice was filled with certainty. "The strongest of their killing skills are only at the Perfection level. Not a single one of them has reached the Control Realm."

He pointed at Qin Feng and grinned slyly.

"So, Old Qin, this year’s ’Qiming General Star’ is in the bag for you!"

"I see."

After hearing Qian Duoduo’s analysis, Qin Feng gave a slight nod.

The flicker of interest that had just sparked within him was extinguished just as quickly.

’No opponents in the Control Realm.’

’This competition really doesn’t pose much of a challenge for me anymore.’

"Sigh..." Qin Feng sighed again.

"Hey, Old Qin, don’t be sighing like that."

Qian Duoduo saw his boredom. His eyes darted around, and as if he’d just thought of something, a mysterious smile spread across his face.

"If you’re really bored out of your mind with nothing to do, I’ve got something fun to recommend."

"What is it?"

"Fight in the private domain!"

Qian Duoduo slapped his thigh. "I know you must think there’s no one left in the senior year private domain who’s a match for you. But have you ever considered that, besides current students, you can also challenge graduates? Even peerless geniuses from a thousand years ago?"

Qin Feng shook his head.

"Heh heh, do you remember Remnant Shadows?"

Qian Duoduo smiled. "This is the core mode of the Qiming First High School private domain network—challenging the Remnant Shadows of past upperclassmen!"

"Remnant Shadows?"

Qin Feng remembered now. His teacher had mentioned it when he first entered the private domain.

"That’s right!"

Qian Duoduo grew more and more excited as he spoke. "These so-called ’Remnant Shadows’ are created using the deepest level of psionic link technology. They take the most peerless upperclassmen in our school’s history—at their absolute peak, their most perfect state right before graduation—and permanently preserve them as a pure data stream on our school’s private domain server!"

"Every single one of those Remnant Shadows possesses one hundred percent of the original’s strength, skill, and combat experience from their peak at graduation!"

"Only by fighting your way to number one in the real-time rankings and earning the ’Grade’s Strongest’ certification do you qualify to challenge them!"

"And if you can successfully defeat any one of them, then your own image will also be worthy of being recorded by the private domain, preserved there for countless future underclassmen to admire and challenge!"

These words from Qian Duoduo finally rekindled a spark of light in Qin Feng’s placid eyes.

’Challenge the legends of history?’

’Leave my own mark on the school’s history forever?’

’This... sounds a little interesting.’

He suddenly thought of his two younger brothers, who were in their second year of junior high.

According to his father, both of them had excellent talent.

Getting into Qiming First High School in the future was practically a sure thing for them.

An amused smirk involuntarily tugged at the corner of Qin Feng’s mouth.

He could already imagine it. A few years from now, those two little guys would get into Qiming First High School, full of vigor. Then, in the private domain network, they’d see the Remnant Shadow of their dear older brother. And with the mindset of challenging a legend, they’d get styled on and mercilessly crushed by him, again and again...

’The thought of that scene... it’s pretty amusing.’

"Alright."

Qin Feng nodded. "I’ll give it a try."

...

He got right to it.

After eating, Qin Feng didn’t even go back to his dorm. He went straight to the Martial Arts Room and immersed his consciousness in the private domain network.

His goal was clear.

First, climb the rankings!

Only by reaching number one would he earn the right to issue a challenge!

And so, for the next twenty-four hours, the entire senior year private domain of Qiming First High School fell into an unprecedented darkness, filled with wails of anguish.

Countless senior students, who had been diligently training, went through the most despairing matchmaking experience of their lives.

"Match found!"

"HOLY SHIT! It’s ’Qin’! Bros, I’m outta here!"

"Opponent has forfeited the match. You are victorious."

Battle ended. Time: one second.

"Match found!"

"Him again?! System, are you targeting me?! I’ve been matched with him three times today!"

"I’ll give you everything I’ve got!"

BANG!

Battle ended. Time: twelve seconds.

...

Not a single senior could last more than thirty seconds against Qin Feng.

After all, the three guys who might have been able to last thirty seconds had already applied for early graduation and were rushing off to take the special recruitment exams for other Starry Sky Martial Arts Universities.

As for the rest, when faced with a monster like Qin Feng—who was in the Dual Control Realm and had a physique comparable to a Starry Sky Giant Beast cub—they were no different from lambs to the slaughter.

「One day later.」

When Qin Feng reached the top of the senior year private domain leaderboard with a terrifying record of "1278 Wins / 0 Losses," the entire senior year channel fell into a strange, relieved sort of joy.

That Great Demon King was finally done.

Meanwhile, the moment he hit the top, Qin Feng received a new system notification.

[Congratulations, you have obtained the "Grade’s Strongest" certification.]

[Hidden Mode Unlocked: Private Domain - Heroic Spirit Hall.]

[You have earned the qualification to challenge the Remnant Shadows of past upperclassmen.]

The scene before Qin Feng’s eyes changed.

He found himself in a grand hall that felt heavy with history, like a Pantheon.

Around the hall stood row after row of lifelike statues.

Below each statue, their name, life story, and peak data at graduation were inscribed.

Qin Feng did a quick scan and found a total of three hundred and seventy-two Remnant Shadows here!

The threshold of strength to be enshrined here was terrifyingly high.

Qin Feng randomly selected the lowest-ranked Remnant Shadow.

[Name: Zhang Meng]

[Strength at Graduation: Life Force Index 30.11, Killing Skills: ’Mountain-Cleaving Axe’ at Perfection, ’Thunderbolt Fist’ at Perfection, ’Iron Mountain Palm’ at Perfection]

’Even the weakest one has three Perfect Killing Skills!’

Looking further up the ranks, the legendary upperclassmen were even more terrifying.

There were plenty who had mastered five, or even six, Perfect Killing Skills!

"Any single person here could have dominated an entire era of the school league."

A sense of respect couldn’t help but rise in Qin Feng’s heart.

His gaze moved slowly from one legendary statue to the next, searching for a challenger that interested him.

Suddenly, his gaze froze!

He saw an incredibly familiar name, one he never would have expected to see here!

The subject of the statue was a young man with a kind face, yet his eyes held a trace of unruliness and freedom.

He held no weapon in his hands; they were simply clasped behind his back.

And below the statue, his information was clearly engraved on a golden plaque.

[Name: Sun Chan Hall]

[Strength at Graduation: Life Force Index 30.23, Killing Skills: ’Wandering Dragon Hand’ at Perfection, ’Cicada-Chasing Body Technique’ at Perfection, ’Dragon Elephant Boxing’ at Perfection, ’Golden Bell Frame’ at Perfection, ’Prajna Palm’ at Perfection, ’Minor Stele-Splitting Hand’ at Perfection]

"Master... Master Sun?!"

A tidal wave crashed through Qin Feng’s heart!

He never could have imagined it. The benefactor who had given him new hope in the darkest moment of his life, the master of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, had actually graduated from Qiming First High School back in the day!

And what’s more, he had left his own legendary Remnant Shadow here!

’Six Perfect Killing Skills!’

’A genius!’

’This... this is a true, peerless genius!’

Checking the graduation year on the student records, Qin Feng discovered that Master Sun was a figure from two thousand years ago.

Two thousand years ago, Master Sun’s life force index was already over 30.0.

’That’s right.’

’Master Sun’s name was also on the Thunder Pool Stele before.’

’His home planet is Qiming.’

Gazing at the familiar yet strange statue, the blood that had long lain dormant within him began to burn ferociously once more, surging at an unprecedented speed!

Challenge his benefactor!

Surpass the legend!

Could anything be more thrilling than this?!