Translator: CinderTL
One day later.
Several flying cars and an aircraft cut through the white clouds in the sky, arriving at the mountain gate of the Flame Tiger Sect.
Most of them had black metal exteriors, with the four large characters "Tian Hao Security" painted in white, which were quite eye-catching.
Several True Disciples of the Flame Tiger Sect looked up, while Cao Tong, who stood like an iron tower on the training ground, was already accustomed to such scenes.
"Here comes another group."
"Yeah."
Xu Tingxiao responded, sitting on the edge of the corridor under the redwood eaves, still pondering the points he had been instructed on earlier that day, feeling a glimmer of inspiration.
Footsteps echoed behind him, and the other True Disciples and core disciples who remained at the mountain gate began to appear one after another.
Some sat relaxed on the black roof tiles, while others opened the doors of their quiet rooms and stepped out.
Most were dressed in long robes with flame patterns, all watching as the flying cars and the accompanying aircraft slowly descended.
Buzz!
The airwaves lifted, and dust on the ground scattered in all directions.
Chen Feng, who had sharp senses and was waiting with Wu Shuang and Zhao Jushan in the front courtyard, raised an eyebrow.
Sss! Click!
The circular aircraft emitted several streams of white gas, and the cabin door suddenly opened.
The Tian Hao security personnel from the surrounding flying cars stepped out one after another, gathering and guarding both sides of the cabin door.
Chen Feng's gaze swept over them, and he immediately spotted Lin Hao.
Dressed in a gray casual suit and leather shoes, Lin Hao's face showed a mix of awkwardness and helplessness.
"Fengzi."
He called out, stepping out of the cabin door, his eyes signaling behind him.
Chen Feng looked up and saw two figures emerge.
One was tall and robust, with a buzz cut and a middle-aged appearance, dressed in a black suit, with Titanium-grade cyborg modules hidden within.
Despite his strength, he was half a step behind, as he was preceded by a blonde woman wearing sunglasses.
Tap! Tap!
The sound of high heels echoed crisply, her skin as pale as the moon, her lips as red as flames.
She wore a white shirt inside, with a black coat draped over it, her hands tucked into the pockets of her dark pencil pants.
In an instant, their eyes met for two seconds, and she walked past Lin Hao, approaching Chen Feng.
"We meet again."
"Let's reintroduce ourselves."
She took off her sunglasses and smiled, "Meng Anran."
The atmosphere quieted, and Lin Hao, standing to the side, looked uncomfortable.
Chen Feng remained silent for a moment, recalling the help she had provided during their last encounter in Yun Port.
"Chen Feng."
He nodded slightly and replied calmly, "Last time, thank you."
"It was nothing. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Meng Anran continued to keep her hands in her pockets and put her sunglasses back on.
She glanced around, her gaze sweeping over the other Flame Tiger Sect disciples in the distance.
Most were curious, with none of the fear or timidity that rumors might suggest.
"It seems you've given them a lot of confidence."
"I take it you're quite confident about the battle at the Huai River in five days?"
Her probing question was met with a noncommittal response from Chen Feng.
Then, he turned slightly and gestured for her to enter.
Meng Anran didn't mind, keeping her hands in her pockets as she led the Titanium-grade middle-aged bodyguard inside.
The latter was carrying a small silver case, which Chen Feng glanced at briefly before being interrupted by Lin Hao, who approached him.
"This woman arrived in Nanjiang yesterday. When she heard I was coming to see you, she insisted on tagging along. I couldn't stop her."
Lin Hao spoke in a low voice, sounding aggrieved. "You have no idea how difficult she is to deal with."
"Not to mention, she's now hired my company for security, making her my employer."
The blonde woman walking along the redwood corridor seemed not to hear, only the sound of her high heels echoing continuously.
Chen Feng didn't pay much attention to this, and soon heard Lin Hao whisper, "I found something about that person you asked me to investigate yesterday."
"He is indeed from the Suro Nation, and quite famous. His name is Pu Ni, a former master-level martial artist of the Suro Karate style."
"He just broke through to become a Physical Grandmaster last year, but he went missing two months ago."
Chen Feng's eyes narrowed, surprised at how quickly the information had been found.
After all, Suro was still in a state of civil unrest.
"Mainly because there aren't many Grandmasters in Suro, so when one suddenly goes missing, it causes quite a stir."
Lin Hao explained in a low voice, and Chen Feng nodded in understanding.
Then, the group entered the guest hall, and Chen Feng took the main seat, while Cao Tong actively served tea to the others.
"I heard that Sect Leader Li is still in a coma and hasn't woken up yet?"
Meng Anran, with her blonde hair, sat in the first seat on the left, crossing her legs and handing her sunglasses to the person behind her.
"That's right."
Chen Feng nodded, as this was no secret.
Behind him, Xu Tingxiao's expression darkened slightly, and Wu Shuang and the others also showed signs of concern.
"Little Lin, aren't you helping Mr. Chen?"
"Have you found a solution yet?"
Meng Anran suddenly turned to Lin Hao, a faint smile on her face.
At these words, everyone was stunned, and Lin Hao's expression changed instantly.
Big sis, don't call me that in front of so many people!
"Little Lin?"
Meng Anran seemed oblivious to his thoughts, only blinking her eyes.
Seeing this, Chen Feng finally understood why Lin Hao had looked so helpless when he had mentioned her before.
"I... I've only found two methods so far."
Worried that she might call him that again, and knowing she was retaliating for his earlier gossip, Lin Hao took a deep breath and quickly said:
"One is a neural stimulant, but it has significant side effects."
"The other is implanting a special device to forcibly awaken consciousness, but it might affect his martial arts cultivation and require partial modification."
Hearing this, Chen Feng's eyes flickered, though he wasn't exactly disappointed.
The realm of consciousness was the most mysterious part of the human body. Even though the Red Nation's technology was advanced, the techniques for awakening and repairing the consciousness of a comatose person were still somewhat lacking.
Unless the person was a cyborg with a Source Consciousness uploaded.
"Haha, Little Lin, it seems you're not up to the task."
Suddenly, Meng Anran chuckled, ignoring his pained expression, and looked at Chen Feng.
"Mr. Chen, have you heard of ancient civilization ruins?"
Chen Feng's eyes flickered. He had once heard the Third Elder mention that Utopia's repair of Jin Wei was related to this.
But since the elder's knowledge was limited, Chen Feng didn't understand much about it.
As for Cao Tong and the others behind him, they looked at each other, completely clueless.
"Ancient civilization ruins are a special place, different from our current world. Ordinary people rarely come into contact with such levels."
"Of course, you might have heard of it under a different name."
"For example," Meng Anran locked eyes with him, "Secret Realm."
At this, Chen Feng's gaze sharpened.
He didn't think she would know that he had entered a Secret Realm.
"The Divine Martial Alliance is searching for and opening Secret Realms with divine power crystals. They are considered an anomaly in the martial arts circle, and our Black Crystal Group has also been paying attention."
"I only made this speculation based on that."
Meng Anran smiled generously, explaining further.
Then, she continued with the previous topic, "Also, in some circles, there are many names for ancient civilization ruins."
"Besides Secret Realms, there are also Inner Worlds, Star Ruins, Deep Worlds, and so on."
"But regardless of the name, ancient civilization ruins are always treasure troves sought after by the world's nations and mega-corporations."
"No one knows exactly which civilization left them, but I can tell you that the Glorious Revolution 120 years ago originated from them."
Her eloquent words echoed, and Cao Tong and Zhao Jushan were wide-eyed, finding such secrets unprecedented.
Chen Feng also felt his emotions stirring.
He hadn't expected this to be connected to the Glorious Revolution of Earth.
After all, the rapid development of technology today had begun to explode from that moment.
"What exactly is inside the ancient civilization ruins?"
Suddenly, Chen Feng thought of something and asked seriously.
The Serpent Spirit Secret Realm was more like a real world than ruins.
Somehow, he felt that the Secret Realm he had entered might be different from the ancient civilization ruins she was talking about.
He wanted to know the answer.
But.
"Sorry, I can't tell you that."
Meng Anran shook her head, seemingly constrained by some rule or agreement.
Chen Feng was disappointed but didn't press further.
The atmosphere cooled, and most of the people present had flickering gazes, especially the Flame Tiger Sect disciples, who forcibly suppressed their fluctuating emotions and digested the information they had just learned.
"So, Miss Meng, how are the ancient civilization ruins you mentioned related to my master's coma?"
After a moment of silence, Chen Feng continued the topic, pushing aside his distracting thoughts.
"Of course, they are related."
Meng Anran made a gesture, and the Titanium-grade cyborg behind her quickly stepped forward.
Click.
The silver case he was carrying was placed flat and opened, revealing a cylindrical glass jar about a dozen centimeters tall.
Inside was a liquid, entirely silver-gray, exuding a sense of advanced technology.
"This is a special potion our Black Crystal Group discovered in an ancient civilization ruin, called Source Consciousness Liquid."
"After multiple experiments, we found that this potion can repair damaged consciousness with minimal side effects."
Meng Anran spoke calmly, raising her hand to indicate, "So, this should be able to awaken Sect Leader Li in a short time."
Xu Tingxiao's eyes lit up at these words, but Chen Feng narrowed his.
"What do I need to give in return?"
He didn't believe she would offer it for free.
Moreover, such an item clearly had immense value.
"Haha, let's just be friends."
Chen Feng didn't believe her and continued to stare at her.
Seeing this, Meng Anran put her sunglasses back on and shook her head, "I really dislike the Flying Dragon Group. They're just a bunch of bootlickers."
"I know about your upcoming duel with Lu Xinglong. Regardless of the outcome, my Black Crystal Group is willing to be friends with you."
"As for the exchange..."
She paused, then said frankly, "Our Black Crystal Group discovered a special place in an ancient civilization ruin where technological methods are heavily disrupted."
"So, I need you to help me out once in the future."
Their eyes met, and Chen Feng knew this was likely her true purpose.
Lin Hao, standing to the side, opened his mouth as if to stop her, while Cao Tong and the others also had complex expressions but didn't speak up.
Although Meng Anran didn't explicitly say it, everyone could tell that the ancient civilization ruin must be quite dangerous.
Otherwise, why would such a large corporation like the Black Crystal Group come to actively befriend him?
"Alright."
Chen Feng nodded without much hesitation.
His master, Li Tong, had treated him well, and this was the only method he had found so far that could awaken him.
As for the danger?
With the Holy Shield Colossus, he had his ways to reduce the risks.
"Good!"
Meng Anran smiled in satisfaction and soon ordered the Source Consciousness Liquid to be handed over to Chen Feng.
She didn't stay long, exchanging a few more polite words before standing up to leave.
Lin Hao had to follow, but before leaving, he shook his head at Chen Feng.
"Fengzi, you shouldn't have agreed to her."
"That kind of place, even a Grandmaster might not..."
Lin Hao sighed, his expression full of worry, leaving his sentence unfinished.
Chen Feng understood his meaning and suddenly realized why cyborg technology was so prevalent on Earth.
At the very least, the ability to upload consciousness and not fear death was the best method for risky explorations.
"Have you been there?" he asked.
"I haven't, but someone close to me has."
Lin Hao's expression suddenly darkened, and he patted Chen Feng's shoulder before leaving.
Buzz!
The aircraft's cabin door closed, and the airwaves lifted.
Several escorting flying cars rose into the sky and followed, while the Flame Tiger Sect disciples looked up at the sky, their expressions varied.
Chen Feng knew the impact of the Secret Realm and ancient civilization ruins on them, so he didn't waste words, taking Xu Tingxiao with him to his master's courtyard.
The Third Elder had been there all day, dressed in a gray robe, thin and elderly.
Their eyes met, and it was clear he had heard the conversation in the hall earlier.
"We'll deal with the future when it comes."
Chen Feng shook his head, then pushed open the door and walked to the edge of the wooden bed.
After some movements, the silver Source Consciousness Liquid was loaded into a syringe, with Meng Anran leaving instructions for the injection.
Chen Feng paused for a moment, looking at his master Li Tong, who lay comatose with closed eyes, and finally inserted the needle into the inner part of his elbow.
The silver liquid was slowly injected into his body, and Chen Feng's senses expanded, observing the changes in his master's body.
In just a few breaths, the silver liquid decomposed into some kind of energy in his bloodstream, continuously flowing towards his brain.
The anomaly disappeared quickly, and Li Tong remained lying comatose on the wooden bed, showing no movement.
"This..."
Xu Tingxiao was puzzled, but Chen Feng shook his head to reassure him.
"Repairing consciousness trauma is a process, not an immediate result."
"Let's wait another two days."
After saying this, Chen Feng sensed that his master's vital signs were stable, and then he left the place.
Walking through the redwood corridor and the gray brick path, many disciples greeted him respectfully.
Chen Feng's thoughts drifted, filled with distractions.
Ancient civilization ruins, Secret Realms.
He subconsciously looked down at the thin black mark on his left palm, which resembled a crow's pattern.
The information he had received earlier was too sudden, and now, thinking carefully, and based on Meng Anran's tone, he increasingly felt that the dream Secret Realm he had entered might be a special spatial world.
Otherwise, why wouldn't there be other methods of transcendence circulating in the world?
After some thought, he finally shook his head and forcefully suppressed the urge to experiment and verify.
"I'll ask Lin Hao about these things later."
"At least, in these last five days, it's not suitable to enter the dream again and waste time."
He hadn't forgotten his life-and-death duel with Lu Xinglong.
The Crimson Tiger Force still needed to break through to the Heavenly Flame level, and he still needed to gather the final Extreme Martial Arts and Limit Breaking Light Orbs.
Besides that.
Caw!
An unpleasant cry came from the sky.
The black crow that had left yesterday appeared again, its dark eyes gazing down below, like a malicious spirit that refused to leave.
(End of the Chapter)
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