Translator: CinderTL
Boom!
That night, within the Dream Realm, Chen Feng suppressed all extraneous thoughts and swiftly darted onto the crumbling ruins of a skyscraper.
The building trembled violently under his weight, prompting the swarm of mutated creatures surrounding him to leap into the air in pursuit.
But...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Dark Flash Burst erupted, leaving trails of black lightning flickering in the air.
Jade-green blood splattered everywhere as a Sixth-Tier Bat Person materialized behind Chen Feng, its grotesque face framed by dark, bovine horns, poised for a surprise attack.
Just as the ambush seemed poised to succeed...
Whoosh!
A crimson-gold Titanium Steel Bone shot through the air like a javelin.
Boom!
The skyscraper a hundred meters away collapsed explosively. The Sixth-Tier Bat Person, impaled through the chest, stared with wide crimson eyes as it was pinned to the last standing wall.
The Heart of Life forcefully drained its life force. The demon's body visibly faded into nothingness, its struggles and roars reduced to feeble twitches.
Pfft!
Only a pile of black ash remained.
The so-called Sixth-Tier Bat Person had failed to make even a ripple.
"Too bad. Just another Black Tide creature," Chen Feng said indifferently, shaking his head. He retracted his Steel Bones and focused his perception on the center of his chest.
Within the Heart of Life's imprint, the Life Essence of the Sixth-Tier Bat Person was utterly corrupted.
An emerald green light diffused softly, slowly purifying it.
Only because Chen Feng had reached the peak of the Sixth-Tier did he dare casually absorb the Life Essence of a Sixth-Tier Black Tide Creature.
He quickly dismissed the matter.
Looking up, Chen Feng gazed at the distant mist billowing from the direction of the Holy Shield Colossus.
Boom!
The forty-meter-tall platinum Colossus unleashed its full power, stomping through a high-rise building.
Its brutal force crushed brick and concrete into dust, and the resulting shockwave erupted into a tempestuous storm that shook the ruined earth.
Dust and debris swirled into the air as cracks spiderwebbed across the ground.
More Black Tide Creatures shattered instantly, yet Chen Feng showed no sign of relief.
His face grave, Chen Feng stared intently at the colossal beast soaring over the High Wall, a creature seventy meters tall resembling a lizard, but with leathery wings spanning over a hundred meters and a single horn atop its head, hovering in the air.
Every inch of its body was covered in pitch-black scales, as if encased in impenetrable armor.
ROAR!!!
In the next instant, a dark violet breath erupted from the Colossus's mouth. The Holy Shield Colossus glowed with golden light, transforming into a protective shield to meet the oncoming blast.
BOOM!!
The cratered ground shattered further as the two colossal beings locked in a stalemate.
"Envoy Rank..." Chen Feng muttered, his expression grave. He hadn't expected the Black Mist to actually spawn an Angel-tier creature. He suspected it was the same massive elliptical entity he'd glimpsed while exploring the Black Mist the previous night, perhaps awakened by his intrusion or the emergence of the Heroic Spirit Hall.
BOOM!!
As the breath dissipated, the Holy Shield Colossus surged forward, its stone wings vibrating like those of a colossal warship launching an assault. The earth-shattering roar reverberated through the heavens as Chen Feng glanced one last time at the ruined city.
The Rain of Light that had cascaded from the Heroic Spirit Hall the night before seemed to be spreading Spirituality across the land. This led him to speculate that the Light Orbs he had been collecting all along might originate from the Spiritual Fire Seeds within the Hall.
Immediately, he focused his Perception. Most of the light points were still small, slowly expanding. He tried to reach out and collect them, but his attempts failed.
"Could it be due to the connection between the Dream Realm and reality?" Chen Feng wondered. "Are the spaces still slowly merging, or do I need to adapt to the other side's rules?"
He speculated that the white gateway within yesterday's black mist might lead to another dimension of Qinggang City. This wasn't a blind guess. When he looked up, the Heroic Spirit Hall floated high above, yet remained untouchable. It seemed to exist within another dimension, its presence flickering between tangible and ethereal—much like the elusive Light Orbs that slipped through his grasp, impossible to grasp.
"But which side is the Dream Realm, and which is reality?" Chen Feng couldn't quite discern. He shook his head, watching the Holy Shield Colossus maintain its restraint over everything. Suppressing his urge to delve deeper, he soared off to seek out the fully expanded Light Orbs.
[Heavenly Aura Overlord Body: Aura Body (51%+)]
[Thunderclap Art: Thunderous Roar (87%+)]
[Golden Dawn Art: Golden Body (6%+)]
"As expected, the number of Light Orbs needed for the Golden Body breakthrough has increased again," Chen Feng muttered.
The night passed uneventfully, and Chen Feng awoke refreshed. He had retained only the Limit Breaking Orbs, having consumed all his Skill Light Orbs. The nurturing energy of Qinggang City continued to flow, and he estimated that the Thunderclap Art's breakthrough was imminent.
Chen Feng quickly tidied up his courtyard and stepped outside, expanding his Perception.
Fish leaped from the pond, rippling the water's surface.
Many disciples were busy on the mountain slopes behind the sect, preparing seating, leveling the ground, and decorating the area for the upcoming Dharma Transmission Assembly.
"The Assembly is only three days away. I heard many Grandmasters will be attending."
"Not just them! Senior Yang and several other Pinnacle Realm experts are already here. I bet top Martial Artists from abroad will come too."
"I can't wait! Our Senior Brother truly lives up to his reputation."
Fragments of hushed conversations drifted to Chen Feng's ears, and he noticed the pride and reverence etched on the disciples' faces.
His prestige within the sect had grown immensely, bordering on worship. This was why his earlier ban on collaborating with Red Wave Energy had met with no resistance.
Chen Feng's Perception swept across the area.
Master Li Tong was playing Go with three Grandmasters, his expression seemingly unchanged. Yet Chen Feng's keen eye spotted a wisp of gray in his master's temple hair.
The tragedy involving Junior Martial Uncle Li Chenye had clearly left its mark, despite appearances.
Thankfully, that chapter was now closed.
His gaze wavered momentarily before he retracted his Perception and settled back down in his courtyard.
Drip... drip...
Footsteps approached.
Seeing Chen Feng emerge from his residence, a man hurried toward him.
"How are the preparations progressing?" Chen Feng asked, seated on a stone bench as he poured himself a cup of tea.
The Dharma Transmission Assembly was only three days away. Though he was a laid-back sect leader, he still needed to check on the arrangements.
"We've received over six hundred invitation letters these past few days," Zhao Jushan replied earnestly, "with expressions of support from both the northern and southern Martial Arts Worlds.
"Considering independent martial artists, corporate directors, and councilors, we've prepared roughly two thousand seats. We can add more on the day if needed."
Zhao Jushan and Lin Xiaoyun had remained at the Mountain Gate specifically to manage the Assembly's logistical details.
Chen Feng nodded, anticipating a grand affair.
This was why he had designated the rear mountain area as the venue. Its expansive terrain featured a flattened slope carved into the mountainside, perfect for such an event.
The Batfolk incident had previously damaged the Mountain Gate. During the subsequent restoration, Chen Feng had instructed the builders to incorporate the wildlands behind the mountain, creating a large, cleared space for future use.
Meanwhile, within Chen Feng's Perception, the Holy Shield Colossus quietly sank into the mountainous terrain.
The Holy Shield Colossus possessed a divine ability to harness Earth Vein Power, allowing it to effortlessly conceal itself underground.
Over the past few days, it had carved out a small cavern within the nearby mountains.
Shrinking its massive form, a faint platinum glow quietly emanated from its rocky body, gradually breaking into tiny specks of light that detached from its stony flesh.
As these specks settled onto the cavern floor, they slowly coalesced, giving birth to two new Small Stone Statues.
"Barely adequate," Chen Feng muttered, nodding to himself.
Although the Earth Vein Power in this area wasn't perfectly compatible with the Holy Shield Colossus, it currently didn't require vast reserves of energy.
A faint anticipation stirred within Chen Feng.
Could the Holy Shield Colossus truly cultivate a powerful clan in the future?
Click!
He set down his teacup.
After exchanging a few more words with Zhao Jushan, Chen Feng casually offered pointers on the key training principles of the Explosive Fist and Heavenly Aura Overlord Body's Mighty Arms.
He had already imparted portions of the Flame Tiger Sect's high-grade True Arts to the True Disciples and a few exceptionally talented core disciples.
Zhao Jushan showed some aptitude for Strengthening Techniques, while the Second True Disciple, Zhang Guiyuan, was making progress in the Extreme Martial Fist. Others were similarly focused on their strengths, and Chen Feng didn't mind offering occasional guidance where appropriate.
Finally...
Chen Feng's gaze flickered upward, drawn to the sky.
Zhao Jushan, momentarily startled, belatedly followed his gaze.
A crimson maple leaf-shaped aircraft sliced through the clouds, gliding slowly into view.
Curious eyes turned to watch its approach. Chen Feng swept the area with his Perception and smiled.
"Finally here."
Click!
A silver metal case landed on the table. Inside lay a fist-sized glass vial filled with an extraordinarily vibrant emerald green liquid, almost turquoise, that shimmered with a hazy, stardust-like glow.
"Is this the Life Source Liquid?" Chen Feng asked, sensing an intense surge of vitality emanating from it.
It was several times more potent than an Advanced Life Elixir and utterly incomparable to the diluted version he had obtained in Niduo.
"That's correct," Han Chao replied with a smile. Xu Tingxiao, clad in black tactical gear, followed him back to the Mountain Gate.
"The Life Source Liquid comes from a crucial site within the Heavenly River Secret Realm. It forms like stalactites, accumulating slowly in limited quantities, making extraction difficult."
"We were delayed these past few days. Otherwise, we could have delivered it to you the day before yesterday."
Han Chao didn't dwell on the liquid's rarity but offered a sincere apology.
Chen Feng nodded understandingly, a faint smile playing on his lips as he learned about the Heavenly River Secret Realm.
This vital Secret Realm, located in Red City, was rarely opened to the public. Controlled by the Military and rumored to be guarded by a Divine General, it was a highly secure location.
"The Heavenly River Secret Realm is quite special," Han Chao continued. "Our Red Nation's first Divine General was born there."
"Some Mega Corporations once attempted to explore these Secret Realms and, enticed by the Zaibatsu of the Platinum Federation, sought to establish special partnerships," Han Chao casually revealed, surprising Chen Feng, who was hearing this for the first time.
"As a result, the higher authorities issued a ban, imposing strict regulations and prohibiting them from entering these realms."
No wonder the Mega Corporations hadn't been able to master Sixth-Tier or higher augmentation technology. Their insatiable greed had been discovered in time, preventing potential disasters.
"What about the Zaibatsu in the Platinum Federation?" Chen Feng asked.
"They wield immense power," Han Chao replied gravely, understanding Chen Feng's concern. Their ability to entice Mega Corporations stemmed from their unique foundations of strength.
"The Platinum Federation operates differently from us. There, the Zaibatsu hold sway, and resource control isn't as strict."
"Many Secret Realms are influenced by these powerful factions. They can even sway decisions made by the Federal Military and the upper echelons of the council."
"The most troublesome among them are the Roth Family and the Orlan Group. The former originated as arms dealers, while the latter evolved from a biotechnology company."
After Han Chao's brief explanation, Chen Feng pondered deeply.
The domestic Mega Corporations, restricted by the initial ban, still operated within manageable limits.
Meanwhile, in the Platinum Federation, powerful factions had already seized control of key Secret Realm strongholds, granting them significant political influence.
Relying on abundant resources and advanced technology, the Platinum Federation possessed a deeper foundation and greater overall power.
"I see," Chen Feng murmured, finally understanding why the Platinum Federation's foreign policy decisions often appeared contradictory.
On one hand, they collaborated with the Military on Black Tide research.
On the other, they instigated unrest through Utopia.
With several Zaibatsu, each more powerful than a Mega Corporation, controlling decision-making, internal disputes and conflicts of interest were inevitable.
"Utopia is one of the organizations secretly funded and supported by the Roth Family. They frequently cause trouble on the Eastern Continent to boost their profits from arms sales and Augmentation Modules."
"After yesterday's attack, our superiors suspected the Roth Family's involvement, but something felt amiss, so we've broadened our investigation into other areas. The investigation is ongoing."
"Thanks to your warning, we've expanded our investigation. Once the results are confirmed, I'll recommend you for official recognition."
Han Chao then brought up the High Wall incident from the previous day, once again expressing the military's gratitude.
Chen Feng waved it off casually, more surprised by the wealth of information Han Chao had shared so freely.
While none of it was top secret—he could have learned it all himself with a little digging—Han Chao's proactive disclosure was still noteworthy.
"I'll take my leave now, Grandmaster Chen," Han Chao said with a smile, rising to his feet and leaving without another word.
Chen Feng watched his departing figure and the Flying Car receding into the distance, lost in thought.
Is this the change that strength brings?
Now that he could defeat ordinary Flying Generals, the military clearly valued him highly.
Shaking his head silently, Chen Feng refocused on the Life Source Liquid on the table.
He picked up the vial, removed the sealed metal cap, and, after confirming its potent vitality through Perception, poured the liquid into his mouth.
Glug!
Glug!
As the liquid slid down his throat, a wave of warmth surged through his body.
Instantly, the Divine Awakening Method, already in the process of transformation, began to circulate with ferocious intensity!
(End of the Chapter)
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