The sprint phase for the College Entrance Exam was upon him, and he absolutely did not want to face the prospect of failing the big test. Simultaneously, he needed to use class time to recover his physical strength. Having lost his part-time job, he had to find a new one immediately; there was no time to waste here.

"Next time, I'll do it. Let me go." Qin Fen pushed up off his knees, struggling to stand straight.

"Practitioner, proceed to the fourth cycle of cultivation..."

For the first time, Qin Fen felt the impulse to curse. Waking up from a perfectly good sleep only to be dragged into this bizarre space, and the luminous figure before him possessed not an ounce of human empathy, completely disregarding the trapped person's future life.

A will to fight surged from the depths of his heart! Ever since consuming that strange liquid metal, Qin Fen felt his battle intent was far stronger than before; suppressing that fighting spirit had become quite difficult.

"Leave? Only if you defeat me in my initial state, or complete the three stages of cultivation in the first part."

"Let me go!" Qin Fen slightly lifted his left leg, his right foot stepping forward in a quick dash toward the luminous figure, slamming a palm strike toward its head.

The luminous figure did not scatter. Its waist swung back half a step, executing the Shaolin Arhat Fist technique, Dragon Concealing Body, precisely evading Qin Fen's descending palm, while simultaneously stating, "The practitioner has voluntarily entered the third stage of cultivation combat practice, disrupting the training sequence. A penalty is assessed."

Qin Fen paid no mind to the luminous figure's warning. His palm strike went wide, and the hand he had raised to his left shoulder immediately followed up with a knife-hand strike, giving the luminous figure no time to counterattack, while the first retracted palm followed immediately behind for a second strike.

Shaolin Arhat Fist: Consecutive Three Palms!

"Arhat Back Sword..."

As the luminous figure's voice sounded, Qin Fen felt as if a heavy hammer had struck his chest. He was blasted backward, falling heavily into the void of the air.

Qin Fen lay suspended in the air, his mind reeling. Defeated? He hadn't discounted that possibility. But to be beaten by an opponent whose apparent strength was equal, especially when that opponent announced the technique they were using to win—that was something he wouldn't have believed possible even if he died trying.

It was the same Shaolin Arhat Fist! Qin Fen was confident that among those who considered this form a mere fitness routine, he was the one who best grasped its essence. Yet today, he was defeated by a figure made of light.

"Proceed to the first stage of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Art. Fourth cycle, heaven and earth circulation training..."

Lying stunned in the air for two seconds, Qin Fen climbed back up again. He consciously chose meditation. He wasn't afraid of the luminous figure; rather, the figure's single strike had made him realize his own arrogance. He had always assumed others couldn't see through the outcome of a fight, but wasn't he the same when he was inside it? Since he couldn't leave? Then he would train! Train until he could leave!

Men harbor a competitive fighting spirit, and Qin Fen was no exception. Especially after several recent battles, that fighting spirit, which had been semi-dormant due to the hustle of life, had awakened once more.

"Proceed to the fifth cycle..."

This time, Qin Fen showed no hesitation or resistance. Since he had already decided to join the military, he would treat this as pre-enlistment special training. As for the exams? Qin Fen was confident that as long as he woke up before the test date, he could still pass, though his score wouldn't rank among the very top.

"The twentieth cycle of the second stage of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Art training is complete." The rigid voice of the luminous figure echoed in the strange black space. "Congratulations on completing the first part, second stage of training. Please relax and rest, prepare to enter the first part, third stage of training."

Qin Fen let out a long breath, his opened eyes flashing with an unprecedented brilliance.

In this bizarre space, by his estimation, he had been trapped for at least a week, and this damned luminous figure showed no intention of letting him go.

Qin Fen wasn't worried about being expelled from school for excessive absences. With a friend like Lin Liqiang around, arrangements would certainly be made to create the most plausible excuse to cover for him. Now, all he had to do was adjust his state as much as possible, accept the final stage of training, and then leave this strange place! Qin Fen closed his eyes again, rising gently to move his body, relying entirely on a martial artist's senses to relax his muscles.

"He seems to be adjusting and relaxing."

In Qin Fen’s small room, two men and one woman stood clustered by the bed, carefully observing his condition.

The speaker was Lin Liqiang. On the first day Qin Fen missed class, he sensed something was wrong. He immediately cooked up an excuse for his friend and skipped his own classes to rush to Qin Fen’s residence. Although Qin Fen had never told anyone where he lived, for someone of Lin Liqiang's background, investigating his friend’s whereabouts was an exceptionally simple task. Normally, he wouldn't bother, but since his friend might be in trouble, mobilizing resources to investigate was necessary.

When Lin Liqiang arrived at Qin Fen’s room, he found that Inzarohta had already gotten there ahead of him. Lin Liqiang instantly realized that Inzarohta must also possess an unusual background and status, then immediately moved to Qin Fen’s side. Lin Liqiang was utterly uninterested in Inzarohta’s identity; friends didn't need to pry, and he would share when he was ready.

Song Jia arrived at Qin Fen’s place immediately after Lin Liqiang entered the room.

"Cultivating." Inzarohta’s terse statement left Song Jia momentarily unable to adapt; she looked to Lin Liqiang for help.

"Old Yin means that Old Qin appears to be cultivating right now, so don't move him or touch him, or Old Qin might be in danger."

After hearing Lin Liqiang’s explanation, Song Jia suddenly felt a spark of admiration for both Lin Liqiang and Qin Fen. They could understand the meaning of a strange person like Inzarohta so completely—it was truly impressive.

For seven days, with the help of Lin Liqiang’s superb leave-request skills, the three of them guarded Qin Fen’s bedside. Song Jia spent the entire seven days guessing what kind of martial art Qin Fen was practicing that allowed him to sleep, eat, or drink for seven days straight.

Sleep Dream Scripture? Impossible! Song Jia quickly dismissed the idea. She had thoroughly investigated all available information about Qin Fen during these days. Qin Fen was born and raised on Earth, and had never left it. His only relative was an elder brother who had suddenly disappeared five years ago, with no one knowing his whereabouts. How could a person like this have encountered the top master of Water Star and learned the heart method of the supreme divine art, the Sleep Dream Scripture? What other divine art, aside from the rumored Sleep Dream Scripture, allowed for cultivation in one's sleep? Song Jia racked her brain but could not conceive of any such technique.

P.S.: It’s pouring rain outside, and Gao Lou is thinking~ couldn't all of your recommendation votes pour in just as heavily? The sound must be lovely, right? It’s the period for new book rankings, recommendation votes, come on, baby~~