Translator: CinderTL
"Self-detonation?"
"Impossible!"
His gaze turning cold, Chen Feng quickly saw through the Giant Dragon Creature's sudden transformation.
Its stamina was rapidly depleting, and its Heart of Life was instantly activated to its maximum potential.
The Emerald Green mark on its chest seemed to transform into an invisible vortex, unleashing a raw, ravenous force of plunder and suction.
Buzz!!
In that instant, the power that was about to swell and explode was forcibly interrupted.
Chen Feng clearly felt strands of Emerald Green veins spreading from his flesh, coiling around the Steelbone Golden Spear.
Finally, they formed a spiderweb-like pattern that merged into the Giant Dragon Creature's flesh, accelerating the plundering process.
Within mere seconds, the black light of self-detonation that had gathered on the Giant Dragon Creature's surface rapidly dissipated. Its massive body began to shrivel, and more and more Life Essence surged into Chen Feng's body.
"This..."
Somewhat surprised, this was the first time Chen Feng had fully activated his Heart of Life since breaking through to Pseudo-Angelhood.
The passive growth had not only increased his storage capacity and recovery efficiency but had also doubled the rate at which he absorbed Life Essence.
Buzz!
However, this action seemed to have triggered something.
The Blood Moon in the sky vanished for an instant, as if some creature had blinked.
When Chen Feng reappeared, a sudden sense of oppression gripped his heart.
Gazing into the distance, he saw the black fog outside the High Wall roiling violently.
Countless Black Tide Creatures swarmed like locusts, but what truly shocked him was the black fog that had always lingered around the city. It surged forward like a black ocean, crashing over the High Wall and engulfing the ruins of Qinggang City.
Whoosh!!
A strange sound echoed as the black fog, like a tidal wave, swept over the High Wall and submerged the ruined city.
This scene was completely unexpected, and the oppressive feeling burrowed deep into Chen Feng's soul.
One after another, the ruined buildings vanished into the black fog, and the mist hanging in the air began to coalesce and press down.
Affected by this, the Azure Armor began to shed itself, and the healthy flush on Chen Feng's face faded, replaced by a deathly pallor.
His blood stagnated, his heartbeat froze, as if all things in the world were nearing their final, destructive end.
Finally, the black fog reached him.
The world blurred, leaving only the Crimson Moon in the sky, its malevolent gaze fixed on him with cold indifference.
"Get out!!"
Suddenly, Chen Feng snapped back to his senses.
His powerful spiritual will, having transcended the mortal realm, blazed with divine light in his eyes.
His pale complexion regained its healthy flush, and the Azure Armor and Steel Bones re-attached to his body, his being resonating completely with the world once more.
Thump!!
A powerful aura surged into the sky, and the resonant heartbeat echoed throughout the world.
The Holy Shield Colossus behind Chen Feng stood firm, gathering its strength, ready to unleash its power.
At this critical moment—
Buzz!!
The Golden Palace in midair suddenly trembled, then erupted into a pillar of golden light that pierced the heavens.
The sea of black mist, which had gathered like a tide, was forcibly pierced through. Chen Feng could clearly feel the oppressive sensation rapidly receding.
"The Heroic Spirit Hall?"
Turning his head, he saw the ethereal Heroic Spirit Hall seemed to solidify, once again merging with this space within Qinggang City.
The golden light soared skyward with unstoppable force, even causing the Crimson Moon in the sky to dim slightly.
This spectacle lasted for ten seconds, and the black mist had already retreated beyond the ruins and the High Wall.
Finally, the golden light dissipated, and the Heroic Spirit Hall fell silent once more.
The ethereal structure, seemingly from another dimension, yet somehow a single page of paper drifted down from the sky.
A thought stirring within him, Chen Feng raised his hand and grasped it.
Soon, he saw the contents:
Alliance Era, Year 249, March 15th
So, the super-ancient civilization from legend is called the Ancient Taiduo Civilization.
The Black Tide destroys all traces of civilization, including written records. Yet, it seems this civilization wasn't completely extinguished, leaving behind numerous Fire Seeds.
"So that's it. I finally understand why these Abyss Secret Realms exist."
"Perhaps I should warn the High Wall Alliance and advise them to preserve some Fire Seeds in advance?"
Alliance Era 249, November 7th
Qinggang City cannot be saved.
After reading the entire text, Chen Feng fell into a brief silence.
Qinggang City had indeed been destroyed, with no chance of survival.
But...
He turned his head to gaze at the seemingly calm black fog beyond the High Wall, then looked up at the illusory Golden Palace in the sky.
"Wang Yu... has he contacted the Ancient Taiduo Civilization?"
Frowning slightly, he sensed that the other party was trying to leave some kind of message.
Or perhaps, to guide him?
The thought flashed through his mind, and he finally turned his attention to the Fragment of Divinity on the panel before him.
Perhaps, after reviving a batch of Heroic Spirits, he could find some answers?
Whoosh!
The next morning, an aircraft pierced through the sky, sending clouds tumbling.
Members of the Flame Tiger Sect looked up to see the crimson maple leaf emblem standing out prominently.
"The Military has arrived?"
Yang Wudi stood in the courtyard, biting on a cigarette. Celine stretched nearby, adjusting to the recovery of her severed arm.
"Looks like Chen is getting pretty close with the Red Kingdom Military," Yang Wudi observed.
"How many times has someone come already?"
Celine sighed, but she wasn't surprised. A Martial Artist who had killed a Peak Flying General was someone any faction would want to collaborate with.
"Haven't the Luoyue Nation people contacted you?" Yang Wudi asked, his gaze returning with a mocking smile. Celine's expression turned helpless as she shook her head.
"I'm not going to be their spokesperson."
Luoyue's high-ranking officials had indeed contacted her by phone, hoping to collaborate with Chen, but she had refused. She knew those arrogant, short-sighted individuals wouldn't appeal to Chen.
The two fell silent, still under the watchful eyes of the Flame Tiger Sect.
Using his Perception, Chen Feng in the solitary courtyard house saw the visitors in the aircraft. His eyes flickered, but he wasn't overly surprised.
"A Flying General, huh?"
Lost in thought, he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he glanced at his panel.
[Heavenly Aura Overlord Body: Aura Body (70% → 82%)+]
[Golden Dawn Art: Golden Body (15% → 26%)+]
[Thunderclap Art: Thunder Light—Minor Completion (3% → 11%)+]
Improving True Arts was becoming increasingly difficult.
However, at this rate, the Heavenly Aura Overlord Body should break through soon.
Moreover...
Chen Feng felt the Heart of Life imprint in his chest, and a dense Life Essence had reappeared within.
This was the massive supplement he had gained from plundering the Giant Dragon creature.
Though still murky, an Emerald Green light was steadily purifying it, transforming it into pure Origin.
"Not bad," he thought. "But this is likely the maximum load the Heart of Life can handle for purification. I shouldn't plunder any more Black Tide creatures for a while."
Having roughly tested the limits of the Heart of Life's passive growth, Chen Feng nodded slightly and withdrew his gaze.
Then, he felt the aircraft descending from the sky.
He entered the waiting hall and heard the buzzing sound waves gradually fading.
Tap-tap!
Soon, the cabin door opened, followed by footsteps.
Zhao Jushan stepped forward to greet the guests, and Chen Feng saw Han Chao, dressed in casual clothes, approaching from the crowd.
The thirty-year-old man with a square face looked rather stern, but he softened considerably in the presence of the Flame Tiger Sect, replacing his usual expression with a relaxed smile.
However, he wasn't the main focus of this visit.
Because...
"Flying General Zhao."
Chen Feng turned to the Flying General in the approaching group, a middle-aged man he had met twice before.
"Grandmaster Chen."
Zhao Fei, wearing a loose woolen coat and looking somewhat gaunt, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting. His tone was deferential.
He carried a silver metal briefcase, and Chen Feng could already see two vials of Life Source Liquid inside.
Chen Feng gestured for them to sit.
Zhao Fei readily placed the briefcase on the tea table and opened it.
Inside were two fist-sized glass containers, each filled with a liquid of pure emerald green, like jade. A faint, hazy light shimmered within, resembling scattered starlight.
At a glance, Zhao Jushan and the others could sense the immense vitality contained within, their eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"There have been some minor issues recently at the Heavenly River Secret Realm, limiting our Life Source Liquid reserves," Zhao Fei explained with a smile. "Chairman Li Yun repeatedly instructed me to personally deliver these two vials to you."
Chen Feng nodded, thanking Zhao Fei for his personal escort.
However...
"The Heavenly River Secret Realm is having problems?" he asked, surprised. After all, it was a Secret Realm of Red City, rumored to be guarded by a Divine General.
Zhao Fei and Han Chao exchanged glances, finally offering a wry smile.
"The Heavenly River Secret Realm is rather special. Sometimes, energy storms erupt there."
"But with the Divine Monarch Master stationed there, it's not a major concern. They've just temporarily sealed off the entrances and exits."
Divine Monarch?
Chen Feng raised an eyebrow at the mention. This was the first time he'd heard of a Divine General's title.
He recalled Han Chao mentioning that the Red Nation had only a handful of Divine Generals, each a national treasure with the power to reshape the heavens and earth.
"The Divine Monarch Master's real name is Lord He, the first Divine General born in our Red Nation," Flying General Zhao explained softly, sensing Chen Feng's curiosity and confusion. "He holds an extremely high position. The Red Guard was established at his suggestion."
Chen Feng's heart skipped a beat. He silently committed the information to memory and asked no further questions.
The two men seamlessly shifted the conversation to the recent Red Wave Energy incident.
"That mysterious figure is incredibly resourceful and well-hidden," Han Chao said, his expression grim. "We haven't been able to identify them yet."
He was certain the mysterious figure who destroyed the Crimson Wave Energy Tower was at least a Flying General-level expert. Yet, despite their efforts, they had found no useful information. Every lead had abruptly ended due to the figure's bio-energy ability to burrow underground.
Chen Feng remained outwardly impassive, but in his mind, the brilliant golden light within him flickered faintly several times.
"However, even though we haven't identified the mysterious figure..."
"But I suspect something's amiss with Red Wave Energy," Flying General Zhao said, his tone oddly ambiguous. Chen Feng feigned confusion and looked at him.
"To be frank, Grandmaster Chen, I had other business in Nanjiang this time."
"Chairman Li Yun's assassination last time was too suspicious. The subsequent clues were too clean. I refuse to believe no one else was collaborating with the Roth Family."
"You suspect Red Wave Energy?" Chen Feng asked, frowning as he grasped the implication.
"They're certainly a suspect," Flying General Zhao admitted, nodding gravely.
"To infiltrate the country, evade the Heaven's Punishment System, and manipulate a Councilor into committing suicide as a scapegoat..."
"Only a handful of forces in Nanjiang could pull that off. And the Roth Family has always been arrogant. Only those Mega Corporations could make them lower their guard and seek cooperation."
"In fact, I suspect the mysterious figure might not even be hostile to us. They might know some inside information and deliberately destroyed the tower to warn us."
His speculation seemed plausible, but Chen Feng remained silent.
Was this a lucky coincidence?
"Flying General Zhao wouldn't intentionally tell me all this, would he?" Chen Feng quickly cleared his thoughts. After all, such matters were clearly unsuitable for public disclosure due to their significant negative impact.
"That's right."
Flying General Zhao nodded frankly, admitting, "Grandmaster Chen is incredibly powerful and serves as Nanjiang's cornerstone of stability."
"These Mega Corporations have considerable resources, with Flying General-class cyborgs secretly guarding them."
"Therefore, I hope that if the investigation reaches its worst-case scenario, Grandmaster Chen will lend a hand."
His tone was sincere, his gaze earnest.
Han Chao, standing beside him, smiled and echoed the request.
Nanjiang had become unusually sensitive recently, with the Secret Realm Migration of the High Wall diverting significant forces for protection.
Currently, without deploying or dispersing the High Wall Army's protective forces, only the most powerful Martial Artist before them could ensure the investigation's success.
Meeting their eager and expectant gazes, Chen Feng glanced at the two vials of Life Source Liquid on the tea table.
He couldn't help but smile wryly.
Free things were indeed the most expensive.
And this resource support from Red City was proving to be quite a hot potato.
So...
"Very well."
Nodding in agreement, he knew these two vials of Life Source Liquid were enough to push the Divine Awakening Method beyond the Sixth-Tier.
As for the Mega Corporations, they had long ceased to concern him.
If the worst-case scenario truly unfolded, he wouldn't mind letting them know who the true master of Nanjiang was.
"Thank you, Grandmaster Chen!"
Flying General Zhao expressed his sincere gratitude, while Han Chao breathed a sigh of relief.
Chen Feng's current strength was simply too formidable. Without their past connections and goodwill, they wouldn't have dared to ask for his help.
"However..."
Exchanging a silent glance, both he and Flying General Zhao sighed inwardly.
As fellow citizens of the Red Nation, especially during this critical period, they had to admit that they secretly hoped their worst-case scenario regarding the Mega Corporations was just their overthinking.
(End of the Chapter)
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