Translator: CinderTL
Buzz!
That day, within the Heart Reflection, Yang Wudi's consciousness flickered, his gaze wavering. The pitch-black world had shrunk to a single, fragile thread, barely connecting him to the pinnacle of his inner landscape. In a moment of clarity, he finally affirmed the boundless strength of his will.
Buzz!!
In the next instant, the world transformed. The accumulated World Imprints coalesced into a radiant sun, suspended high in the sky. Beneath his feet, the precarious thread, threatening to snap at any moment, stretched and shifted endlessly, gradually solidifying into a pristine white staircase. In the distance, the distant peak soared higher and higher, morphing into a golden throne that towered at the world's apex.
"Is this the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder?"
A wave of spiritual turmoil surged within Yang Wudi as he stared intently at the towering golden throne. His profound gaze flickered with emotion, his heart overflowing with awe. After lingering in the Pinnacle Realm for an immeasurable time, he had finally taken this monumental step forward.
He immediately prepared to ascend the staircase.
But then...
Boom!!
A thunderous explosion shook the platform at the staircase's summit. Yang Wudi's eyes narrowed as he swiftly looked up.
Suddenly, the ethereal space rippled with intense, illusory waves, conjuring a vivid phantom scene.
A colossal Golden Armor, nearly overlapping Chen Feng's Mind Heavenly Ladder, shattered explosively, scattering Spirit Light across the sky.
A burly young man stood with his back turned, crimson blood dripping slowly from his arms.
The world fell silent, the stillness lasting only an instant.
Then, the scattered Spirit Light coalesced, swirling around him in a luminous vortex.
The bleeding from his fists ceased, his wounds rapidly healed, and the fiery aura that enveloped his crimson gauntlets blazed anew, seemingly indestructible.
As if sensing something, he abruptly turned around.
Their eyes met. The swirling Spirit Light hummed and converged, forming a new Golden Armor that enveloped his body.
In that instant, Yang Wudi's pupils constricted, and he froze in place.
Simultaneously,
Chen Feng frowned slightly. He watched as the illusory figure at the base of the Heavenly Ladder gradually faded away, leaving him alone once more in his mental realm.
"A hallucination?"
"No, that can't be right."
Having donned the materialized Golden Armor of his Myriad-Kilogram Body, Chen Feng was certain: that had been Yang Wudi's figure.
Chen Feng's brow furrowed slightly. He quickly recalled the records of Transcendent Martial Dao in Qinggang City.
When a Martial Artist became the first to break through a higher trial on the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder, other Martial Artists who had also achieved Transcendence would sense it, briefly perceiving a fleeting phantom projection of the trailblazer.
In other words, he had successfully cleared the trial.
And Yang Wudi had also achieved Transcendence.
"This is getting more and more interesting," Chen Feng murmured.
His eyes gleamed as he withdrew his downward gaze and looked toward the higher platforms.
Earth's martial arts had finally converged with Transcendence.
And he had finally gained a new rival.
The Golden Throne loomed high in the heavens, but only one could claim the title of world's sovereign.
Chen Feng disdained resorting to tricks or worldly schemes, preferring to achieve his ambitions through his own strength.
His eyes blazing with determination, Chen Feng stepped onto the platform and ascended to the next tier of the Heavenly Ladder.
He had already far surpassed others, standing at a higher vantage point.
Therefore, he possessed the confidence to become the sole sovereign enthroned upon that lofty throne.
Buzz!
In an instant, the Heart Reflection dissipated, and he returned to full consciousness.
The frequency of the World Resonance subtly increased, drawing in an even denser surge of World Force.
His physical body and will were enhanced.
It felt like a new transformation, yet also a gradual, imperceptible reshaping.
[Strength: 95 → 95.1, 95.2]
[Agility: 87 → 87.2, 87.4]
[Constitution: 92 → 92.3, 92.6]
[Will: 89 → 89.1, 89.2]
"Another transformation?"
Chen Feng's gaze flickered as he watched the numbers on his status panel slowly rise.
He could clearly sense strands of World Force gradually merging with his flesh and blood.
Additionally, a refreshing energy circulated through his mind, sharpening his thoughts.
This was the reward for conquering another stage of the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder.
Though the specific manifestations varied with each breakthrough, the underlying principle remained the same: breaking through limitations to unlock latent potential.
This was possible because each successful climb deepened the frequency of World Resonance, drawing in more World Force to fortify both mind and body, and raising the upper limit of his potential.
Dimly, Chen Feng sensed it.
As if being gently lifted by the World Force, he was slowly approaching the angelic threshold he had previously only been able to glimpse from afar.
Even a pseudo-Seventh-Tier being was immeasurably stronger than a peak Sixth-Tier practitioner, the difference between them as vast as an unbridgeable chasm.
This was evident from the state of the Holy Shield Colossus back then.
"So this transformation should last for several days," Chen Feng mused, sensing the subtle changes occurring within him.
It felt as though his realm had reached the Seventh-Tier threshold, but his actual strength had yet to catch up. He was certain that once the transformation concluded, he would truly stand on the cusp of the Seventh-Tier.
This was a gradual process of metamorphosis, where World Force would serve as nourishment, slowly bridging the chasm without requiring additional resources.
Of course, if he could acquire enough Essence-rich supplements, he could undoubtedly accelerate the transformation and shorten its duration.
Nodding to himself, Chen Feng focused on other aspects of his evolution.
Although his performance in clearing the Heavenly Ladder this time was more restrained compared to the raw exhilaration of the Limit Breaking Fist, it was no less profound.
He raised his hand slightly, concentrating his will.
More World Force descended to empower him, intensifying the crimson-gold flames swirling around him.
Force, Pinnacle Intent, reflexes, recovery...
With every facet of his being amplified, Chen Feng clearly felt his resonance with the world deepen, his mastery over World Force ascending to a new level.
The most significant improvement was in the enhancement of his Physical Body.
By resonating with the world through his World Imprint, Chen Feng gained access to a portion of the divine attributes of the Myriad-Kilogram Body, causing the recoil force of his physical body to skyrocket.
He roughly estimated that he could now reflect at least half the force of close-range attacks.
This was a unique effect, distinct from the Giant Tiger Technique he had previously practiced. It would persist indefinitely, deepening alongside his mastery of World Force, a true divine attribute of a Martial Artist.
Moreover, in terms of defensive strength, Chen Feng sensed that in his Resonance State, his body's durability was rapidly approaching that of Rainbow Iron.
Buzz!
Immediately, upon experimentation, Crimson Gold Steel Bones materialized, coalescing into a razor-sharp dagger.
He lightly traced the dagger across his arm.
A pale mark appeared, beneath which a faint line of blood surfaced.
But this didn't last long. Under his powerful self-regeneration, the blood trace vanished swiftly, as if it had never existed.
"As expected, I'm just a hair's breadth away," Chen Feng murmured, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction at his steadily increasing strength.
He even suddenly wondered if the combat prowess of the Legendary Flying General truly reached the angelic tier.
If he were to face such an opponent now, resonating with the world solely as a Martial Artist without using his innate talents, what would the outcome be?
His thoughts drifted until...
Buzz! Buzz!
His phone vibrated. Chen Feng focused his perception on it.
The message flashed across his eyes, and his gaze abruptly sharpened.
"This is absurd!"
"How did it end up here? It almost flipped the Sky Island!"
"Wasn't it supposed to have vanished?"
Within the Radiant Light Secret Realm, voices filled with shock and disbelief erupted through the communication channels.
As they looked up, a colossal inverted pyramid hung motionless above the future city projected by neon lights.
Where nothing had been moments before, the inverted pyramid now occupied a vast expanse of space.
Clouds swirled around it, while aircraft from the Military and the Red Guard circled nearby.
The sunlight was blocked, casting a massive shadow over the city below.
Residents and bio-synthetic robots alike craned their necks to stare. Even after years spent in the Radiant Light Secret Realm, accustomed to its advanced technology, they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and unease.
Higher still, above the azure sky and swirling clouds, the massive Sky Island that usually hovered above the city center was slowly drifting away, as if deliberately distancing itself from the inverted pyramid's arrival. The huge blue light Force Field Shield protecting the island flickered erratically, seemingly disrupted by some unknown interference.
"This is too bizarre!"
"Something's not right!"
"That's the Inverted Pyramid that vanished from the Cloud Dream Forest."
One by one, the Masters of Sky Island frowned, their faces grave.
The aircraft hovering around the Inverted Pyramid, piercing through the cloud layer, and the Flying Generals who had activated their Armament Modules, wore even more solemn expressions, their faces filled with bewilderment.
This was unprecedented. A Civilization Construct from another Secret Realm had suddenly appeared in a different one. It defied all logic and expectations, leaving everyone stunned and perplexed.
Soon, experts and scholars flocked to the Radiant Light Secret Realm, and emergency meetings were hastily convened.
"It actually went to the Radiant Light Secret Realm," Chen Feng remarked, surprised by Lin Hao's phone call.
"That's right," Lin Hao confirmed. "It appeared at seven o'clock this morning, triggering a massive Magnetic Field Storm that reportedly affected even the Sky Islands." Lin Hao spoke gravely from his office at Tian Hao Security. As he often said, Jadeite Biotech might be his domain, but there was no place like his own territory.
"There are several theories circulating. Some experts believe the Radiant Light Secret Realm is shifting, causing abnormal Energy Node activity that attracted the Civilization Construct. Others speculate the Inverted Pyramid might have autonomous control or harbor some form of life."
"The final results aren't in yet. I just found out myself," Lin Hao said.
Chen Feng nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information. He remembered his initial exploration of the Cloud Dream Forest, when the Inverted Pyramid was still buried underground, mistaken for an Underground Labyrinth.
But now...
"Has anyone entered the Radiant Light Secret Realm to explore it?" Chen Feng suddenly asked, a thought striking him.
He recalled his experience on Heaven's Fall Mountain in the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm. Like the Inverted Pyramid, he had experienced a Dream Incursion, witnessing fragments of a civilization's annihilation.
This led him to an astonishing idea: could the Inverted Pyramid also contain a Fragment of Divinity? What about other relics of extinct civilizations within Secret Realms? Could they also harbor such fragments?
Unaware of Chen Feng's train of thought, Lin Hao assumed he was merely curious and replied, "I heard that while the Magnetic Field Storm has shrunk, the pyramid's entrance remains sealed. No one can get in."
"They haven't resumed exploration yet. Plus, the situation is unique—the Radiant Light Secret Realm has other Star Ring entrances. The Platinum Federation seems eager to seize this opportunity to collaborate on the research." Lin Hao shook his head, his tone laced with discontent.
Chen Feng understood perfectly. First they incite chaos, then they launch assassinations.
They still dared to suggest cooperation after all this?
"What's the official stance?" Chen Feng asked, frowning.
"I heard the Orlan Group, a major corporation, tried to negotiate, but the higher-ups rejected them outright."
"Still, the Platinum Federation won't give up easily. After all, no one can guarantee that new technologies won't be discovered here," Lin Hao replied matter-of-factly, then added, "Oh, and about yesterday's assassination attempt, Big Sister says they've already cracked the case."
"Really?"
"Council Speaker Li Yun acted swiftly. He purged a significant number of spies the very night he returned to Yun Port."
"Supposedly..." Lin Hao lowered his voice instinctively, "the Roth Family from the Platinum Federation was likely behind it. They've even managed to turn several of our people."
"And what's truly shocking is that the councilor from our own Nanjiang who helped those two Sixth-Tier Modified Humans cross the border reportedly committed suicide out of guilt. When the Red Guard arrived, they only found his body in his study."
Lin Hao paused, and Chen Feng narrowed his eyes.
He vaguely remembered the councilor Lin Hao mentioned—a seemingly amiable man who maintained cordial relations with all factions, never wanting to offend anyone.
But something felt off. Perhaps the speed of the resolution struck him as too convenient.
The thought flickered through his mind as he exchanged a few more words with Lin Hao.
After ending the call, Chen Feng's mind swirled with possibilities.
"The Inverted Pyramid."
Chen Feng was less concerned with the truth behind the Platinum Federation's assassination attempt and more focused on any clues connecting to the Fragments of Divinity. After all, these Fragments represented the power of an angel's aid in his revival.
"Looks like I need to communicate with the military," he mused. "I'll see if I can investigate when the exploration zone opens, but I can't arouse suspicion."
If the Inverted Pyramid truly contained Fragments of Divinity or related clues, the sooner he went, the better. He even wondered if the Red Nation's leadership had already discovered Fragments of Divinity within some Civilization Construct without his knowledge.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Chen Feng suddenly felt a shift in his perception and turned toward the Mountain Gate. A blood-soaked figure was sprinting desperately toward the Flaming Tiger Mountain Gate, radiating panic and helplessness.
Her near-Mach speed generated a deafening sonic boom as blood streamed from a gaping wound in her abdomen. It was Iphia, who had left the previous night.
Despair and a flicker of hope warred in her jade-green eyes as she stumbled toward the gate, as if fleeing from a ferocious beast. The commotion drew the attention of many Flame Tiger Sect members. They watched as she collapsed at the foot of the Mountain Gate's steps, her voice cracking with exhaustion as she hoarsely cried out:
"Chen!"
"Please... save Kagor!"
(End of the Chapter)
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