Translator: CinderTL
High above, the spatial rift healed, and the dark gate grew smaller.
Modified Humans and Cyborgs, riding single-person aircraft, ascended to the sky, forming a defensive perimeter.
Numerous other aircraft descended and hovered, surrounding the warship that had jumped through space to form a new defensive line.
"It's over," Chen Feng murmured, surveying the scene.
The Cosmic Flame swirling around his body slowly dissipated. He could feel the scorching heat of his blood coursing through his veins, burning his muscles and causing wisps of white mist to seep from his pores.
Everything gradually calmed down. Wang Cheng, standing nearby, turned his gaze toward Chen Feng.
"To reach this level with just your physical body... you truly are remarkable." His voice was sincere, offering genuine respect.
Their earlier alliance had made it clear that Chen Feng had also reached the Legendary-grade. The fact that a Martial Artist could break through to this level was undoubtedly explosive news.
Furthermore...
His gaze turned curious, sweeping across the empty blue sky behind Chen Feng and the approaching warship.
Shifting his gaze downward, he surveyed the scarred and battered earth of Nanjiang City.
The blue light screen of the Scanning Module showed no trace of the Platinum Giant, who had also reached Legendary-grade. The giant had vanished without a trace, leaving no sign of their presence.
"Your friend?" Wang Cheng asked curiously, his feet emitting tail flames that propelled him through the air, drawing him closer.
"Yes," Chen Feng nodded, his expression calm. He didn't elaborate further.
The Holy Shield Colossus's exposure was unavoidable.
With the situation at its most critical, he could no longer conceal this power and stand idly by while others died. It was both his principle and his duty as a Federation Councilor.
But...
Meeting Wang Cheng's gaze and sensing the attention of the cyborgs and Modified Humans around them, Chen Feng's thoughts drifted.
Legendary-grade resources and technology were tightly controlled by the Red Nation's top echelons. No one in the civilian sector could possibly have reached this level.
He had anticipated the uproar and scrutiny this would cause, which was why he had sent the Holy Shield Colossus away in advance.
"Don't worry," Wang Cheng suddenly said, as if sensing Chen Feng's unspoken concerns. He turned his head to look down at Nanjiang City below.
The earth was scarred with craters and fissures stained crimson with blood, yet most of the city's residents had survived.
"If it weren't for you and the White Giant's intervention, the Black Tide might have completely destroyed Nanjiang by now."
"And that terrifying being, suspected to be an Evil God Angel, might have fully manifested. We wouldn't have even made it in time."
His tone was strangely complex, tinged with a subtle undercurrent of meaning.
He then turned to Chen Feng and made a promise.
"I don't care what others think."
"At least Wang Cheng believes you are the greatest heroes."
With that, he ignited his afterburners and slowly descended.
Watching his receding figure, Chen Feng's gaze flickered, sensing the unspoken implications.
He didn't dwell on it further. He glanced at the warship hovering in the sky, his gaze lingering on its energy cannon.
Its power surpassed even advanced energy cannons, capable of obliterating entire cities.
If not for its suppression, the Evil God Angel might have truly crossed over.
After a moment of observation, he slowly descended, arriving at the temporary headquarters of Red Wave Energy.
Modified Humans and cyborgs ascending into the sky all turned to look at him, some even saluting.
Their fervent gratitude coalesced into intense gazes. Finally, Chu Shihong, Han Chao, and others rushed forward to greet him.
"Grandmaster Chen!"
"Councilor Chen!!"
Every face was filled with the relief of surviving a catastrophe and genuine gratitude.
Federation Councilors, Military representatives, and high-ranking members of the Red Guard, including those from Mega Corporations who had always held themselves in high esteem and acted with arrogance, all stepped forward to express their thanks.
"Grandmaster Chen, if you ever need anything from us in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."
"That's right. If it weren't for Grandmaster Chen, we would likely have perished here."
"With Councilor Chen here, Nanjiang is truly blessed. The Blue Sky Group will forever remember this day's kindness!"
Compliments and promises flowed endlessly as councilors cleared a path for him.
"Fengzi."
Lin Hao opened his mouth, a smile on his face, a mix of gratitude and the pride of a friend.
Chen Feng patted his shoulder.
"Thank you."
Meng Anran, walking over from the side, spoke up, her eyes complex. Old Gu, standing behind her, was filled with admiration.
He still remembered when Chen Feng had first come to Yun Port, he was only at the Inner Strength level, forced to flee from the Flying Dragon Sect's pursuit.
And now, without realizing it...
Chen Feng had become a towering tree that even Mega Corporations had to look up to.
Accepting all the gratitude with composure, Chen Feng nodded slightly.
Finally, he met the gaze of countless eyes.
He finally stood at the center of the crowd, gazing at the destroyed district around him and the bloodstained traces of the fallen.
"I only did what I had to do."
"Now, I must trouble you all to repair the city and reassure all sectors as quickly as possible."
Buzz!!
At the same moment, within a realm of dark chaos, black mist coalesced into a pitch-black sea, in which a colossal, terrifying creature vaguely swam.
It resembled a wolf-bat, with bat wings and a wolf's body.
Crimson eyes, like blood moons, hung suspended in the air. Beneath the black mist, countless deformed creatures emerged.
Boom!!
The earth-shattering impact echoed endlessly, causing the Sea of Mist to tremble.
The terrifying wolf-bat creature was blocked in place. Looking closer, one could see a white Spatial Crystal Wall standing firm.
Despite its claws and scales hammering against it, the cracks in the wall rapidly closed.
As if reinforced by some unseen rule, the wall swiftly healed, its thickness steadily increasing, making it increasingly difficult to breach.
"Damn humans!!"
A low, furious roar reverberated through the dark chaos. The terrifying wolf-bat creature refused to accept the failure of its Plan.
This was an operation it had meticulously planned for ages, and it had been so close to success.
But what it found most unacceptable was the loss of something crucial.
For a long moment, Shutesu's hysterical roar echoed through the air, the black mist roiling and churning, the ripples it created drawing considerable attention.
"Shutesu is really angry, isn't he?"
"Hmph. Serves him right. Why didn't he listen to our warnings?"
"But why is he so furious?"
That day, as dusk painted the sky crimson, the Black Tide incident had barely concluded. The City Council and the Military convened an emergency meeting, still debating the aftermath.
Reconstruction of the city, defense against future Black Tide incursions, public reassurance...
Moreover, the Radiant Light Secret Realm, which had been relocated in advance, had finally arrived in Nanjiang. A stable Star Ring Device needed to be constructed to secure the spatial gate.
Orders cascaded down the chain of command, and aircraft after aircraft landed.
These were reinforcements from Yun Port, including some from the Radiant Light Secret Realm itself, part of the defense force for the warship that had appeared out of nowhere.
Red Wave Energy's temporary headquarters was requisitioned, and key figures from various factions gathered for detailed discussions and countless meetings.
Only Chen Feng remained aloof. He temporarily declined all meetings, citing injuries and the need for rest, and returned to the Flame Tiger Martial Arts Hall.
"Xiao Feng!"
"Senior Brother!"
Master Li Tong and the others rushed to greet him, while Chen Yun was safely escorted back by True Disciple Lin Xiaoyun and the others.
The familiar faces were filled with gratitude and pride, but mostly concern.
While the Martial Artist's ability to fly through the sky and traverse the earth was awe-inspiring, the intensity of the battles—facing the Black Tide, confronting the Flying General's power, and repeatedly risking everything to protect Nanjiang—had taken its toll.
They all believed the explanation of physical injury, worrying about lingering internal damage.
"Just minor issues, nothing serious," Chen Feng said, briefly addressing their concerns and inquiries.
He then retreated alone to his Meditation Chamber, closing the door behind him.
"Hmph!"
He exhaled a cloud of turbid air, sat cross-legged, and scanned his body with his Perception.
He was indeed injured.
The Evil God Angel who had possessed Kromode, though only a fraction of its power had descended, was still comparable to a fully realized Envoy Rank.
Moreover, the crimson barrier had granted it a bizarre advantage—the ability to defy death through endless resurrection.
To counter this, Chen Feng had been forced to unleash the Cosmic Flame without restraint.
His meridians, internal organs, muscles, bones, and tendons had been subjected to continuous searing heat and explosive force. An ordinary person would have collapsed under such strain long ago.
Only his current robust Physical Body, supported by Steel Bones and the restorative power of the Heart of Life, prevented lasting damage.
He turned inward.
The mark of the Heart of Life shone brilliantly, and a sensation of swelling and stagnation continued to pulse through him.
The murky Life Essence surged like a torrential river, its waves never ceasing. A dense, Emerald Green light strained to purify it.
The storage capacity for Life Essence had not yet reached its limit.
However, for the time being, he could no longer absorb the Origin of Black Tide Creatures. This was a burden from the Black Tide's pollution, and he would have to wait until the purification was complete.
But these were not the true reasons he needed to be alone.
Rather, it was because...
[You have completed a battle to defend your honor.]
[Victory!]
[Glory Value +30!]
[Heart of Glory upgraded successfully!]
[You have earned an opportunity to enhance the Holy Shield Colossus!]
[Tip 1: When enhancing, choose a suitable area for it to absorb sufficient Earth Vein Power to supplement the enhancement energy and achieve a complete transformation!]
[Tip 2: You cannot take action during the enhancement process!]
The system panel notifications appeared, and Chen Feng read them carefully.
The battle against the Black Tide had indeed provided a substantial amount of Glory Value, completely filling the Heart of Glory's accumulation and allowing it to break through to LV6.
This meant the Holy Shield Colossus could be upgraded again, but the circumstances were different from before.
"This time, the transformation is essentially combining the previous steps into one."
"Glory Points are the upgrade requirement, and Earth Vein Power serves as the energy source for the transformation."
Through the information feedback, Chen Feng understood.
Immediately, he established a mental link.
The Holy Shield Colossus silently departed Nanjiang, heading straight for Niduo Country.
The previous search hadn't been a one-time affair. The Niduo Mountains held an abundance of Earth Vein Power, and the Colossus hadn't fully consumed it during its previous breakthrough.
According to the Colossus's message, the remaining power there should be sufficient to complete this transformation.
"Lower Angel..."
Chen Feng's eyes brightened. He knew that once the transformation concluded, the Holy Shield Colossus should reach the Lower Angel tier.
Withdrawing his thoughts, he watched the Colossus's departure through their mental link.
Chen Feng then turned his attention to the other data on his panel.
[Azure Armor LV7: 85/100]
[Steel Bone LV6: 34/100]
The Black Tide Creatures showed little emotion, and the Evil God Angels held no fear of him.
Most of his nourishment came from the Red Wave Energy security personnel and the Sixth-Tier Modified Human named Han Dong.
The Black Tide's primary function was to replenish his Evil God Power.
[Power of the Dead: 1700/100]
This number should have been much higher, but the Dark Dream Mark had been stimulated again, stealing most of the power.
[Dark Dream Mark upgraded!]
[The continuous consumption of the Dark Dream Mark in the Secret Realm World has been reduced by 70%!]
[You have gained a new mark ability: Black Dream Light (Fragmented)]
[Progress: 40%]
[Hint: This mark ability requires absorbing a large amount of Evil God Power to fully activate.]
[Current Effect: You can consume stamina to activate Black Dream Light, temporarily blocking the Black Tide's power.]
"Oh?"
Chen Feng's eyes narrowed in surprise.
The upgrade of the Dark Dream Mark was expected, but the Black Dream Light—after absorbing so much Evil God Power—was still only fragmented, not complete.
Moreover, the ability associated with it left him puzzled.
It consumed his own stamina to activate, no longer requiring Evil God Power.
And its specific effect was to temporarily block the Black Tide's power?
"Temporarily block..."
Intrigued, Chen Feng focused his mind.
As his stamina began to drain, a strange vertical mark suddenly appeared on his forehead.
It resembled a six-pointed star, yet also looked like a third vertical pupil.
Perception revealed his own appearance, causing Chen Feng to frown slightly.
After careful observation, he found no other anomalies and continued to expend stamina, channeling his power.
Whoosh!!
Instantly, a beam of black light shot forth from the mark on his forehead, illuminating the half-empty space.
His stamina rapidly drained as Chen Feng watched the floating black light curtain, gradually grasping its effect.
"Something like a sealing power..."
He suddenly recalled the Nethersea Seal he had seen in the Dead Crow Secret Realm.
The Black Dream Light gave him a similar feeling—as if any Black Tide Creature trapped within its barrier would lose its Origin support.
"So, if I use the Black Dream Light to create a barrier, I can temporarily prevent Black Tide Creatures from reviving?"
"Perhaps, if I become powerful enough, I could even forcibly seal spatial rifts?"
Lost in thought, Chen Feng considered numerous possibilities.
But as soon as he stopped expending stamina, the black light curtain floating before him swiftly dissipated, as if it had never existed.
Even the six-pointed star mark resembling a vertical pupil on his forehead quietly vanished.
Standing still for a moment to contemplate, Chen Feng felt that if this ability were fully unleashed, it might become a powerful force to suppress the Black Tide.
Thoughts flashed through his mind as he pondered for a long time before finally retracting his gaze and returning to the system panel.
There remained one final, enormous reward.
Fragment of Divinity +1!
Fragment of Divinity: 3
This new Fragment of Divinity had come from the blood and flesh of Kromode's exploded body.
Chen Feng suspected this was the primary reason the Evil God Angel had been able to cross dimensions and descend, and the fundamental reason the blood-red barrier had stubbornly persisted.
Moreover, it was precisely because Chen Feng had seized this power that the Evil God Angel had flown into such a rage at the last moment, even causing its true form to convulse as if it were willing to pay any price to descend upon Nanjiang and obliterate him.
Yet, it seemed Wang Cheng and the others hadn't noticed anything amiss.
(End of the Chapter)
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