Translator: CinderTL
The sky was clear with white clouds, and a chilly wind blew.
The Nanjiang urban area was becoming increasingly prosperous. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, one could see new skyscrapers rising from the ground.
[Superman Energy Group Nanjiang Branch]
Chen Feng stood by the window, watching the top of the skyscraper. Huge steel letters were hoisted by a crane and then welded and reinforced by workers above.
"It's been a while since I had an energy bar."
Chen Feng withdrew his gaze, a memory surfacing.
The Superman Energy Group was one of the largest conglomerates in Feng Province. When he first started practicing martial arts, he relied entirely on those energy bars for nutrition.
The memory flashed by, quickly replaced by the endless sea and the blood-red moon.
The Dead Crow Secret Realm.
Like the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm, it felt like a completely real world.
Yet, after spending seven or eight days there, only a single night had passed upon his return.
"Was it a dream, or a difference in the flow of time between the two worlds?"
The doubt in Chen Feng's heart grew stronger. Finally, he looked at the panel before him.
[Steel Bones LV4: 3/100]
The enhanced effects were still there; everything he had brought back was real.
As for the ring that belonged to Great White Shark - Tiger, he had left it in the cabin of the double-masted sailboat, waiting to retrieve it the next time he entered the secret realm.
The thought passed, and Chen Feng wasted no more time. With a thought, he activated his Steel Bone talent.
Whoosh!
Instantly, a golden sword appeared in his palm, thin as a cicada's wing, extending up to five meters, almost touching the opposite wall of the room.
With a thought, the golden sword vanished in an instant, like a fleeting shadow.
Repeating the process, his hands moved similarly, golden afterimages flashing continuously.
Chen Feng's eyes grew brighter; he was gradually adapting to the upgraded changes in Steel Bones.
There were two main effects.
First, the speed and volume of bone manipulation far exceeded before.
As just demonstrated, the golden afterimages were almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
The extension and retraction were extremely fast, reaching the five-meter limit in an instant.
If used in combat, it would be unpredictable.
Second, the hardness of Steel Bones.
Surpassing Titanium, a clear intuition!
Moreover, Chen Feng suspected that the current hardness of Steel Bones might even surpass that of high-grade special Titanium.
"Unfortunately, I lack materials for comparison."
Chen Feng narrowed his eyes, suddenly thinking of Meng Anran's high-grade special Titanium cyborg.
If he could test it on him a couple of times, then...
Achoo!
Inside the elevator of the Black Crystal Group's Nanjiang branch, a tall cyborg bodyguard in a suit sneezed.
"Hmm?"
Meng Anran, with her golden hair, turned back suspiciously.
"Did they not modify your nose properly?"
"Boss, my nose is real."
"Oh."
Meng Anran, hands in her pockets, casually changed the subject, "Did the other two Grandmasters agree?"
"They did, but the one from the northern martial arts world is a bit greedy. He wants us to invest more resources in his sect."
"Fine."
Without much expression, Meng Anran said indifferently, "The old guys in the northern martial arts world are stubborn. If he's willing to help, then satisfy his appetite."
As they spoke, the elevator reached the top floor. A secretary was already waiting by the elevator door, holding documents and following her steps.
"Alright, I'll arrange it immediately."
"Mm, these are minor issues. What about Yun Port? Why hasn't there been any communication this morning?"
"That... I was just about to tell you."
"What?"
"There's a bit of trouble in Yun Port."
---
"Dead?"
In the quiet room of the martial arts hall, Chen Feng, who was testing his Steel Bone talent, received a call from Lin Hao and was somewhat surprised.
"Yes, two council members from the outer city of Yun Port were killed."
"They were attacked at home. Even the Titanium-grade cyborg bodyguards were shattered, their consciousness forced back to the Deep Sea."
Lin Hao spoke gravely, and Chen Feng felt the situation sounded somewhat familiar.
"Who did it?"
That was Yun Port, the center of Feng Province.
Even if it was just the outer city, it was not comparable to ordinary cities.
"Preliminary speculation points to Utopia, but there's clearly the shadow of the Platinum Federation behind it."
"Sky Eye has found traces, and the other party is very arrogant. After killing, they left a circular pattern, a method similar to Utopia's high-ranking general, Beast King, Onit."
Chen Feng frowned. What exactly was Utopia aiming for?
"I heard the trigger for this incident was related to Suro."
"A coordinate of an ancient civilization ruin was discovered within the territory of the Suro Nation. The Platinum Federation wants to compete with us for control over that area."
As the words fell, Chen Feng's gaze sharpened.
All his doubts instantly dissipated, and a series of clues connected.
No wonder Utopia had stirred up chaos in Nanjiang and Feng Province before.
And the sudden internal strife in Suro.
"Alright, that's all I know."
"Be careful when you and the boss go to Yun Port. Although these people can't cause much trouble, it's still best to be cautious."
Chen Feng nodded, then gave a few instructions before hanging up.
Not in a hurry to put down the phone, he specifically searched for related news.
But there was no information.
"It seems it's been suppressed."
"Right, the negative impact would be too great if it got out."
"And the matter of the ancient civilization ruin, most people haven't heard of it..."
Chen Feng pondered, then dialed an unfamiliar number.
Beep!
It was quickly answered, and an old voice came through.
"Grandmaster Chen?"
"Yes." Chen Feng nodded, confirming it was Grandmaster Flying Eagle himself.
"How's the investigation going?"
"We've found some clues. I suspect the person from the Divine Martial Alliance who is skilled in illusion techniques is likely a female elder from the Illusion Sound Sect who disappeared last year."
Chen Feng nodded, then asked.
"What about Suro?"
"I've sent a group of disciples to the Suro Nation under the guise of tourism. They're following the clues left by Grandmaster Pu Ni..."
Grandmaster Flying Eagle explained truthfully. The two chatted for a while longer before Chen Feng hung up.
The sudden inquiry wasn't impulsive; he had remembered what Meng Anran had said before.
The Divine Martial Alliance was also searching for ancient civilization ruins, secret realms left with the crystal remnants of evil gods.
Now, combined with the information from Lin Hao, it was hard not to think more.
"Regardless of the situation, the most important thing now is the trip to Yun Port."
Gathering his scattered thoughts, Chen Feng exhaled deeply.
Then, he walked out of the quiet room, his senses enveloping the entire martial arts hall.
"Ha!"
"Punch! Your movement is wrong, do it again!"
"And you, whip punch, smash! Use force to smash down!"
Several core disciples served as coaches, instructing some past students.
Visibly, the martial arts hall had more people, and the first-floor fitness area was livelier.
The former bustling scene was gradually being restored. Chen Feng walked down the corridor and saw some familiar faces through the glass window.
Pei Yue, Wu Tian.
During the most difficult times of the Flame Tiger Sect, they had chosen to stay. The former had completed Bone Refining, while the latter, with recent help from Wu Shuang, had broken through to Organ Refining.
In an instant, as if sensing a gaze, Wu Tian, who was instructing new students in a green flame-patterned robe, turned his head.
Surprise, envy, awe, admiration...
His eyes were filled with many emotions, having long been completely convinced.
As their eyes met, though they were close, in the other's eyes, it seemed as if they were drifting further apart.
Until finally, Chen Feng gave a slight nod, as encouragement.
Wu Tian's expression changed, his eyes inexplicably reddening slightly.
At night.
Mist enveloped the dark area.
Rows of buildings lined the streets, the asphalt road silent.
Dead trees stood in fixed rows, and the cars parked on the street were covered in a thick layer of black dust.
As always, it was eerily quiet, with occasional roars of powerful creatures in the distance, faintly audible.
Tap!
A footstep suddenly sounded.
A burly figure with a black backpack walked slowly from the end of the street, a golden afterimage flashing in his hand.
Swish!!
A two-story building was swept by the golden afterimage, yet the street remained silent.
But.
Crack!
An unusual sound suddenly rang out.
Crack! Crack!
The sound of shattering suddenly became continuous. Visible to the naked eye, a crack spread straight from the second-floor window of the building.
As if it had been horizontally sliced, by the end, the first and second floors of the building collapsed into two separate parts.
Thud!!
The sound of collapse echoed, bricks rolling and piling up, dust scattering in all directions.
Chen Feng's hand flashed with the golden afterimage again, continuously slicing through other buildings.
Swish! Swish! Swish!!
With each attempt, one unmanned building after another was cut in half.
The collapse grew louder, but Chen Feng's eyes grew brighter.
Until finally.
Roar!!
Several gray apes appeared nearby.
Most were five to six meters tall, some leaping onto rooftops, others crashing through broken walls, charging into the street.
Thud! Thud!
Heavy footsteps sounded as an eight-meter-tall ape king blocked the path, casting a shadow like a small mountain.
Roar!!!
It roared, baring its fangs, a gust of wind shattering nearby windows.
Chen Feng's clothes fluttered, a cool breeze brushing over his short-cropped hair.
But as their eyes met, he smiled calmly.
"Nice to see you again."
The gray ape tribe that had once forced him to retreat in disarray was now the perfect test subject.
Roar!!
As the words fell, a furious roar erupted.
Several fourth-tier gray apes charged at him. Chen Feng didn't dodge, golden light spreading over half his body.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Golden afterimages flashed, enhanced by the explosive power of Explosive Fist.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed continuously. The charging gray apes widened their eyes in disbelief, as if unable to comprehend why they were seeing their own headless bodies.
"Roar!!"
The gray ape king roared in fury, its eyes bloodshot, stomping and shattering the asphalt road. The next second, it punched with full force.
Boom!!!
A muffled explosion, like thunder.
The golden armor fully formed. Chen Feng, with both feet plowing through the ground, looked at the golden shield tightly gripped in one hand.
A shallow fist imprint.
Over a hundred tons of force, coupled with the gray ape king's body, which surpassed ordinary Titanium in durability.
The Steel Bones fully absorbed the impact, only a violent shockwave shaking his body, causing his blood to surge and discomfort to arise.
Hum!!
While observing, the ape king punched again, filling his vision.
The gray-furred fist was over a meter wide. Chen Feng remained expressionless, green-black armor spreading beneath the golden armor.
"Defense test, complete."
Thud!!!
He held up the shield, taking the blow head-on. The ground beneath his feet exploded, a massive crater ten meters in diameter, debris flying in all directions.
But unlike before.
The hundred-ton impact was weakened by the Steel Bones, then further absorbed by the soft texture of the Azure Armor.
His body was unharmed, without the slightest discomfort.
Roar!!
The ape king was furious, seemingly sensing something.
The tiny creature that once needed helpers to restrain it now had the strength to rival its own?
Cold killing intent surged. It punched continuously.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Muffled explosions rang out. Chen Feng punched back.
With the green-black enhancement, his body grew taller.
In the form of the Giant Tiger, the two-meter golden armor covered everything, only gray and golden afterimages clashing.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!
With force exceeding a hundred tons, many creatures in the surrounding area were startled.
The air exploded with circular white shockwaves, deep craters appeared on the asphalt road, and the dead trees and lamp posts on both sides were snapped by the force of the punches.
Boom!!
Another punch clashed.
The small fist rose from below, the gray imprint of the small mountain pressed down.
Yet, the two were evenly matched, neither gaining the upper hand.
Chen Feng grinned, feeling exceptionally exhilarated.
This was the first time he had stood his ground in a danger zone without relying on the Holy Shield Colossus.
"Roar!!"
Unlike his exhilaration, the ape king was furious, stomping the ground, leaving deep footprints.
The gray, bulging muscles suddenly expanded, and its massive body grew taller, approaching ten meters.
Shadows loomed, completely engulfing Chen Feng in his golden armor.
The next second.
Hum!!!
The ape king punched, a fierce gale rising.
Before the impact, the ground beneath Chen Feng's feet caved in and shattered, as if an invisible force had enveloped him.
A chill surged, but Chen Feng remained unfazed.
Swish!!
The golden afterimage vanished in an instant, like a thin line shooting upwards.
Squelch!!
Blood spurted. The gray ape king's fist struck the armored body.
Chen Feng plowed through the ground, sliding far back, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.
Looking closely, the gray ape king's sturdy arm, which surpassed ordinary Titanium and was even more durable than high-grade special Titanium, was now covered in blood, staining its gray fur.
White bone was clearly visible, with a noticeable crack.
"As expected."
"The durability of Steel Bones is likely close to Radiant-grade Titanium."
As the thought was confirmed, the ape king didn't retreat, instead charging forward and punching with its other intact arm.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Chen Feng's figure flickered, fierce gales brushing past his shoulders.
Golden light flickered intermittently, blood splattered, and the ape king's body was covered in wounds. It widened its eyes, looking down at its body.
A thin golden sword pierced through its abdomen.
"Such a durable body."
"But unfortunately, it's over."
A low voice sounded.
The next second, the thin golden sword transformed from a stab to a slash, cutting straight across.
Squelch!!
The mountain-like body was split in two, blood gushing like a fountain, staining part of the golden armor.
Silence fell, all the commotion gone.
Chen Feng stood still, gazing at the first fifth-tier creature he had killed alone.
His gaze sharp, his thoughts finally settled.
"It's time to end this."
(End of the Chapter)
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