Translator: CinderTL
Vroom!!
The black sedan accelerated, the trees on either side of the road bent under the weight of snow.
"Brother Tingxiao, Grandmaster Chen and the others must be exhausted, right?"
A young boy wearing an old down jacket sat in the back seat, gazing at the snow-covered landscape outside and feeling the biting cold wind. He couldn't help but ask.
Xu Tingxiao, dressed in a blue windbreaker, was momentarily taken aback. The military driver and Zhou Wuren's disciple also listened with curiosity.
"Why do you say that?"
"When my master left, he told me that when he first came to Suro, he opened a Martial Hall here all by himself. He faced a lot of opposition and it was exhausting."
"He just wanted more people in this land to know about Red Nation Martial Arts, but he didn't expect the resistance to be so strong. The people here didn't welcome him."
The boy looked at the frost and snow outside, as if he could see all the hardships his master had endured in life, and the moment he was crippled by that Tiger.
"If it was like this even in Pula City, then in a martial arts holy land like Dowa City, it must be even worse."
"Grandmaster Chen and his group are just a few people, but there are so many martial artists here in Suro. So..."
"So, you're worried about them?"
Xu Tingxiao ruffled the boy's hair. Though he wasn't much older himself, he seemed unusually mature at that moment.
"Yes."
The boy, named Yao Wei, nodded, but soon saw Xu Tingxiao smile.
"You're right to worry."
"But unfortunately, you don't know my Senior Brother."
Yao Wei looked at him curiously, and Zhou Wuren's disciple also became more interested.
"My Senior Brother, he's never one to back down."
"In fact, I think he's the most prideful person I've ever met."
Xu Tingxiao's tone was complex, as if recalling the time when he first joined the Flame Tiger Sect.
"The more imposing others are in front of him, the calmer he becomes."
"The more enemies there are, the more fearless he is."
Memories flashed by—his master's disciple being easily subdued, beaten black and blue.
The infamous Blood Poison Hand was slain by him alone. At the Southern Martial Arts Conference, he fought against numerous heroes single-handedly, and he single-handedly reversed the decline of the Flame Tiger Sect.
The battle at Huai River solidified his dominance in the southern martial arts world. At Xiang Mountain, with just one punch, he silenced the crows. Now, it seemed as if he alone was shouldering the formidable reputation of the Red Nation Martial Arts World.
"He is proud, he is calm."
"Because he knows, no matter who the enemy is, or how many there are."
"To him, it's all the same."
Xu Tingxiao's voice was soft, filled with admiration, reverence, and a hint of melancholy. His gaze was complex as he looked out the window, as if he could see the snow-covered building they were about to arrive at.
"They are all as weak as weeds, easily crushed."
---
Vroom! An invisible aura spread.
The steady footsteps echoed as the black-clad young man at the head of the delegation walked forward indifferently.
Though he made no move, his eyes were filled with an aggressive intensity, as if they were reflected in the hearts of everyone present.
After just half a second of eye contact, all the martial artists of Suro felt a tremor in their hearts and averted their gazes.
For a moment, no matter how cold or hostile the crowd outside the restaurant was, they could only instinctively take a step back, parting like a receding tide to make way.
With a calm expression, Chen Feng simply walked forward.
Zhou Wuren, half a step behind, wore a faint smile, while Lin Hao and the others looked on in amazement, following closely.
Tap, tap!
At that moment, someone in the crowd, unwilling to back down, gritted their teeth and stepped forward.
"Flame Tiger Grandmaster, it doesn't matter if you look down on us, but today's Martial Arts Exchange will undoubtedly be won by Suro!"
He shouted loudly, as if trying to prove his courage.
However, Chen Feng didn't even glance at him.
Chen Feng continued walking towards the prearranged exchange venue at the rear area of the mountainside.
Seeing such blatant disregard, the man who had spoken earlier clenched his teeth in frustration, his face turning red.
He wanted to speak again, but soon noticed reporters from Dowa TV appearing, microphones in hand, blocking the path.
"Flame Tiger Grandmaster, it's rumored that you have never been defeated in the Red Nation."
"Do you still have confidence in today's Martial Arts Exchange?"
A woman in her thirties, bundled in a down jacket, her face red from the cold, questioned him, thrusting the microphone forward.
Chen Feng paused, noticing the camera behind her.
"Is this how Suro treats its guests?"
He asked calmly, looking at her.
"Are you lacking confidence? Or are you worried about losing today?"
Instead of answering, she shifted the topic and continued questioning.
Glancing at her, Chen Feng shook his head and resumed walking.
"Did everyone see that? The Flame Tiger Grandmaster is scared."
"He didn't dare answer the question because he lacks confidence in defeating our Suro Twin Stars."
The reporter added fuel to the fire, speaking into the camera, and the scene was captured by a drone, eliciting a cold snort from someone in the military tents amidst the snowy mountains.
"What a Suro! I didn't expect them to play such tricks after we showed them some leniency!"
"It must be the Platinum Federation negotiating with them again. Truly a bunch of fence-sitters!"
"Who cares? I say we should just send a few Red Generals to take out that so-called Mountain Ancestor and see if they dare misbehave again!"
"While that's possible, we still need to consider the repercussions."
A high-ranking officer cursed loudly, and Meng Anran in the neighboring tent likely heard the commotion.
"It seems things are getting quite heated."
"Can't be helped. This Martial Arts Exchange will affect the opening of a Secret Realm Node."
"The Dowa Sect is quite cunning. Knowing their technology is lacking, they chose a martial arts competition."
Old Gu sighed, but soon saw his boss shake his head.
"The Dowa Sect is being too clever for their own good."
"Of all things, they dared to challenge him in martial arts."
As the words fell, the scene from dozens of kilometers away reappeared on the virtual screen.
A group of people made their way through the crowd towards the rear area of the snowy mountain.
Looking up, they saw a flat cloud platform spanning hundreds of meters, the thick snow swept away to reveal red bricks below and a massive temporary arena in the center.
On both sides were open-air stands made of redwood, only for standing, rising layer by layer, already packed with people who turned to look.
"They're here, they're here."
"Look, those are the people from the Red Nation."
"They don't look weak. Can they win?"
"Nonsense, don't you see Grandmaster Gert and Grandmaster Walong are here?" Amidst the noisy discussions, the red brick stairs led straight to the cloud platform."
Han Chao, along with several military and embassy personnel, was already waiting there. The cold wind from the distant cliffs caused the fur on their coat collars to flutter incessantly.
"Grandmaster Chen!"
Han Chao stepped forward to greet him, his expression serious.
He knew that today's matter was of great significance and that Grandmaster Chen's strength was unparalleled, with no match below the Pinnacle Realm.
However, Zhou Wuren had encountered some issues, and he was still worried about the possibility of something going wrong, hoping that the other party would proceed cautiously.
"There won't be any problems."
Chen Feng calmly replied, meeting his gaze with composure.
Han Chao's heart trembled, but he didn't say more. The group immediately entered the Cloud Summit arena, surrounded by a tide of murmurs that grew even more intense.
"Suro, victory is certain!"
"Suro, victory is certain!!" Shouts erupted suddenly, with people on both sides of the stands holding banners and leading the cheers.
Hundreds of gazes and voices converged, making Cao Tong and Zhou Cheng feel uneasy once again.
Even Lin Hao frowned slightly, feeling a wave of psychological pressure.
"Grandmaster Chen."
Soon, someone approached.
It was Shiva, draped in a thick fur coat, her skin a yellowish-black, but her makeup was exquisite, exuding a wild beauty.
"I didn't know things would turn out this way with Grandmaster Zhou."
"I'm sorry."
She spoke sincerely, but Chen Feng shook his head.
"You shouldn't be saying this to me."
He walked past her indifferently.
Regardless of whether she was aligned with Walong, she was, after all, part of the Suro faction.
Shiva's expression stiffened instantly, and she could only watch his retreating back. Zhou Wuren beside her also shook his head as he passed.
"Young lady..." A servant from the Dowa Sect tried to console her, but she sighed and signaled that it was fine.
Looking again, they saw Chen Feng and his group finally reach the right side of Cloud Summit, where there was a small space reserved for the Red Nation.
At the same time, the overwhelming malice solidified into a tangible force.
Looking up, on the opposite side of Cloud Summit, hundreds of meters away, five grandmasters appeared.
Walong, the old grandmaster from yesterday, Gert, and two other elderly men they hadn't seen before.
Information flashed through Chen Feng's mind; he knew they were the leading figures of Suro's five major Mystic Mark Schools, all with some depth in the grandmaster realm.
The rules of this exchange were simple.
Three battles would decide the outcome.
"This is too troublesome."
Chen Feng suddenly said, causing those beside him to be slightly taken aback.
Before they could react, they saw a figure step out from the opposite side of Cloud Summit, walking towards the central arena.
To the left of the arena were cliffs and clouds, with dozens of thick iron chains connected to carved stone pillars.
To the right was a flat mountainside, covered in white snow, with members of Suro's Martial Arts World from the earlier restaurant quickly approaching.
As for the front and back sides, outside the arena.
Almost all the spectators were Suro people, waving flags and shouting, unleashing waves of momentum.
"It's Grandmaster Napong, I didn't expect him to be the first to step out!"
"He's the mentor of Grandmaster Walong, a veteran powerhouse second only to the two stars!"
"It seems victory is certain!!"
Voices continuously came from the front and back stands, and Lin Hao and the others clearly saw the old man who had stepped onto the arena.
Dressed in gray linen, somewhat lean.
He looked like a candle in the wind, but his aura was thick and powerful—it was the old man who had blocked their path yesterday and used poison to ambush Zhou Wuren.
"I'll go."
Zhou Wuren, with bandages wrapped around his hand, said seriously, "This old man is very cunning, I'm worried they have other tricks up their sleeves..."
"Old Zhou."
Suddenly, Chen Feng spoke.
Zhou Wuren was slightly taken aback, his words interrupted, and then he saw the other party take a step forward.
Rip!
The zipper was pulled open, and the black down jacket was tossed to Cao Tong.
The black turtleneck sweater was stretched taut over his muscular frame, the black trousers fluttered, and his leather shoes stepped firmly on the stone bricks of the platform as he moved forward.
"There's no need for all this trouble anymore."
His calm voice echoed, and the figure blocking the view walked away steadily.
Seeing this, Han Chao opened his mouth, feeling that it was too presumptuous, wanting to dissuade but finding it hard to speak.
Beside him, Zhou Wuren's gaze flickered, his aura fluctuating, and finally, he sighed in resignation.
"This trip was in vain."
Only he could hear the helpless thought in his heart, as he vaguely sensed a certain opportunity.
The spectators were unaware of this, and the core leaders of the Dowa Sect opposite them had flickering gazes, some revealing triumphant smiles.
"It seems the plan has succeeded."
"Yes, Grandmaster Shadowless has been poisoned by Senior Brother Napong's special concoction. Even if he takes the stage, he is bound to lose."
"Then there's only the Flame Tiger Grandmaster left. How many rounds do you think he can last?"
"No matter how many rounds, the result is the same. With Napong and Walong wearing him down, the outcome is inevitable."
Whispers of conversation rose, and beside them, Shiva looked at her senior brother, noticing his slight frown, clearly dissatisfied.
"Senior Brother, they are just following the Mountain Ancestor's instructions, wanting to be cautious. After all..."
"Enough."
Interrupting her words, Gert, cloaked in a cape, shook his head coldly.
Beside him, Walong saw his disdain and felt a surge of resentment, which he could only vent by turning his gaze to the black-clad youth stepping onto the arena.
Reduced to a mere supporting role, all because of him.
The malice in his eyes grew stronger, and finally, the black-clad youth stood at the center of the arena.
"Grandmaster Napong, victory is assured!"
"Grandmaster Napong, victory is assured!!!"
The shouts from the stands rose again, the unified voices of the crowd resonating like a powerful force, enough to move many martial artists.
Behind them, Cao Tong and Lin Hao once again felt the pressure, extremely uncomfortable, while the gray-robed elder opposite them had a flickering gaze and spoke hoarsely.
"Flame Tiger Grandmaster, it seems today, the cyborgs of your Red Nation won't be able to assist you."
He spoke calmly, as this geographical advantage was their strength.
Below, TV cameras and military drones recorded everything. Even with powerful cyborgs, the opponent could only rely on pure martial arts to decide the outcome.
Thinking this, the dark light in Napong's eyes grew denser, the black patterns on his body rapidly spreading, emitting black rays.
But just as he was building up his True Art.
The black-clad youth opposite him lowered his eyelids and asked indifferently.
"Why do you think it's the cyborgs?"
As soon as the words fell, Napong's gaze sharpened.
But before he could react, the other's gaze passed over him, looking at all the stands on both sides.
"Grandmaster Napong, victory is assured!"
"Grandmaster Napong, victory is assured!!"
"Grandmaster Napong, vict..."
Buzz!!! An invisible force suddenly spread, the air trembled, and gazes froze.
All the shouts vanished in an instant, and within a radius of two to three hundred meters around the platform, everyone felt a powerful force enveloping them, pinning them in place, unable to move.
"Too noisy."
Chen Feng tilted his head slightly, the sound of cracking joints echoing through the air.
Ignoring Napong's wide-eyed astonishment and the cold sweat streaming down his face, Chen Feng turned his gaze toward the opposite area.
The five major Mystic Mark Schools, the Suro Twin Stars, and all the hastily arrived members of the Martial Arts World of Suro stood before him.
He raised his hand, pointing at the crowd as a crimson glow slowly gathered behind him.
"You, you, and you," he said, his voice calm yet commanding.
"All of you, come at me together."
(End of the Chapter)
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