Translator: Cinder Translations
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In a metallic, secret room.
Shadows sat on either side of an oval table, each wearing a mask.
A round, flower-like brooch on the left chest reflected the bright white light of the overhead lamps, and on the wall beside them, a projection displayed a scene where a dark, shadowy figure publicly killed Zhao Jianlong.
"Hahaha, if I didn't know this guy killed Gao Tian Heng, I would almost think he's one of us," one of the masked figures laughed.
"Tsk, tsk, Zhao Jianlong just died like that; now we can start taking action," another added.
The scene froze, the playback ended, and the masked figures laughed and nodded in agreement.
"Zhao Jianlong was a fool. He actually dared to step forward on his own in something like this."
"It's good he's dead; we can recall people from Dong Tao's side. Jin Wei is about to revive, and he'll need some manpower to look after things."
"Others in the city have already started moving. I heard that over in Luohe City, another council member was killed. We can't fall behind."
Similar voices filled the room, but the man in a gray coat, the Silver Wolf, wore a calm expression, even with a hint of disdain.
A group of people who only knew how to play with schemes.
If it weren't for Jin Wei needing repairs here, he would never have worked with them.
"Then it's decided," one of them said. "I heard that the Provincial Council headquarters in Yun Port sent a special representative to investigate Zhao Jianlong's death."
"Make haste, and it would be best to leave him in Nanjiang."
---
Inside the Martial Arts Hall's Quiet Room, two hours later.
As the effects of the Muscle-Fortifying Tiger Bone Pill were fully absorbed, the Bronze Statue Technique finally broke through.
Crack, crack!
With a sound like popping beans, Chen Feng stretched his body and slowly clenched his fist.
[Strength: 16.1 → 16.8]
[Agility: 14.8 → 15.4]
[Constitution: 18.7 → 19.8]
[Willpower: 16.5 → 17.1]
"Three attribute points improved."
Retracting his gaze, Chen Feng could clearly feel his physique had grown stronger.
Even without activating the Azure Armor or the Giant Tiger Form, his physical strength was comparable to a bronze-level cyborg.
As for his strength...
Crack!
With a clenched fist, the air trembled.
The Bronze Statue Technique was more focused on physical defense, with only a slight increase in power.
But even so, his ordinary punch now likely had the strength of 900 kilograms, nearly a ton.
If he activated both the Azure Armor and Giant Tiger Form and unleashed his explosive punch, the strength would reach an astounding four and a half tons!
Moreover...
A flash of light flickered in his eyes as he looked at his hands.
With a thought, he concentrated his energy.
His skin gradually turned bronze, as though sun-kissed for years, giving off a heavy, solid feeling.
Bronze Skin!
This was the true purpose behind his training in the Bronze Statue Technique.
It further reinforced his defensive physique, and after breaking through to the Bronze Skin stage, he could condense his energy, gaining a half-force backlash from enemy attacks.
After this breakthrough, each successive one would double the effect, with the ultimate Bronze Statue achieving a 30% counterattack!
This was different from the Giant Tiger Form's brute force.
Brute force meant channeling his internal strength to push back nearby enemies.
But the Bronze Statue's counterattack was passive, deflecting part of the enemy's force back at them the moment he was attacked.
"Not only that. I also have the Steel Bones talent, which adds an additional 30% effect every time."
"If it reaches perfection, the Bronze Statue's counterattack could reach a full 40%!"
With his fist clenched, Chen Feng felt this was the kind of power he needed—this was the true martial path he sought.
Endure all damage, rebound the enemy's power, and then strike back with heavy fists!
Swish!
He swung his arm, letting out a muffled sound as he immediately assumed a stance, refining his body and not wasting a second to increase his strength.
Standing, meditating, practicing strength...
Gradually, the sun climbed higher, nearing noon.
Some noise could be heard from outside the Quiet Room. Chen Feng remained focused, still standing and punching, finishing the Tiger Roar stance.
Thud, thud!
Finally, a series of footsteps approached.
A quarrel broke out outside, stopping at the door of the Quiet Room.
Hoo!
A stream of white vapor escaped as his martial practice ended.
Chen Feng's gaze flickered, halting his movements.
"Brother Cao, you can come in."
With his heightened perception, Chen Feng already knew who had arrived.
At the same time, he saw the restrained anger on Cao Tong's face, as well as several other martial hall instructors and sect disciples standing around with serious expressions.
Click!
The door opened, and it was Jianjun, dressed in black, standing in front of him.
His muscular arms hung by his sides, the muscles stacked like blocks of stone.
Their gazes met, deep and calm.
"Chen Feng."
For a moment, Jianjun seemed stunned, standing with several law enforcement officers at the door, his expression complex.
Was it just his imagination, or had this young man suddenly become somewhat unfamiliar?
Not only because he just learned about his direct disciple status, but also... that aura.
It seemed... there was a subtle hint of aggression?
"Captain Xiang," Chen Feng finally spoke, knowing this moment had come.
His perception sharpened, and he noticed several security department flying cars parked outside the martial hall.
He also sensed fully modified cyborgs hidden among them, with many of their weapon systems already activated.
In fact, one of the towering, muscular officers behind Captain Xiang was fully encased in bronze-level armor.
"Chen Feng, I'm sorry."
Xiang Jianjun came back to his senses, his expression complicated as he said gently, "Yesterday's incident has caused a lot of trouble. Director Zhang hopes you can come to the Security Department for a chat."
He wasn't sure whether Chen Feng was the cyborg in question.
At least, from what he could see, there were no modifications, no evidence at all.
However, based on the Sky Eye System and the night-long investigation by the Security Department, the man had some obvious suspicions.
As a result, he had no choice but to forcefully bring a team to apprehend him.
"I understand."
Chen Feng nodded calmly.
If the Security Department dared to make such a bold move, it meant they had some confidence.
He didn't want to start a fight here, as it would only put the sect in a more passive position.
Tap, tap!
He then stepped forward, his steps calm.
Some officers among the law enforcement officers held special material handcuffs, ready to make a move, but they were quickly stopped by others.
Xiang Jianjun cursed inwardly and silently signaled them to stop.
Looking aside, he saw many formal or core disciples of the sect lined up in the hallway outside the Quiet Room, most of them were instructors from the core class.
Wearing black, their muscles bulging, with the Flame Tiger symbol tattooed on their left chest.
Their eyes were sharp, like a pack of tigers on the prowl.
A chilling, murderous energy gathered in the air, and Cao Tong stood beside Chen Feng, looking down from a higher position with a furious gaze.
Drip!
A bead of cold sweat slid down the face of the law enforcement officer beside Xiang Jianjun, his face turning pale.
Though he knew backup was waiting outside, with cyborgs ready to respond, he knew that if a fight broke out, he wouldn't survive until tomorrow.
"Let's go, Captain Xiang."
Chen Feng's tone was calm as he continued walking toward the elevator.
The sound of footsteps echoed.
The core disciples of the martial arts hall had already sensed that something was wrong. Many of them appeared at the doors of the practice rooms along the corridor.
They peered out, their expressions varied, and some even stepped out, standing on both sides.
Lin Hao's expression was serious, and Wu Tian, who had always been at odds with Chen Feng, clenched his fist and looked at Xiang Jianjun and the others, revealing a complex expression mixed with anger.
"Senior Brother!"
Suddenly, someone shouted.
"Senior Brother!"
"Senior Brother!"
"Senior Brother!"
The voices continued, quickly spreading throughout the entire martial arts hall like a wave.
Chen Feng paused his steps, and a wave of emotions stirred in his heart.
Click!
The ascending elevator suddenly stopped and opened, revealing a thin old man in a gray robe, who stepped out and stood before Chen Feng.
Behind him, a massive phantom of a tiger with four flaming paws appeared. It seemed both real and unreal, crouching at the doorway, blocking the path.
With cold vertical pupils, the figure gazed down, flames rising and exploding in a surreal manner.
"Do you think you can take away my direct disciple of the Flame Tiger style just like that?"
---
The United Coalition.
A towering building in the center of Nanjiang City.
This place symbolized the highest authority in Nanjiang City, where countless people would often look up in reverence.
However, at this moment, inside the conference room, all the council members were holding their breath, staring with focused eyes at the elderly man in a gray suit sitting at the head of the wooden table.
"Representative Chu, this is the situation at present."
"According to the Sky Eye system and related investigations, we have found that this Chen Feng is highly suspicious."
On the wooden table, there was a projection device with a blue light screen hovering above it, displaying Chen Feng's detailed information.
[Male, 23 years old, direct disciple of the Heavenly Flame Tiger Sect.]
Zhang Zhengtai, the deputy director of the Safety Bureau, sat at the second seat on the left of the table, pointing to the information with a serious expression.
"Combined with the recent appearances of the Blue Demon, we have found that both the deceased Gao Tian Heng and his daughter, as well as Zhao Jiapeng and others, have, to some extent, crossed paths with this person."
"When Councilman Zhao was first chasing at the mall, he was there. And when the incident ended, he appeared again at the scene."
"So, we suspect that this person is deeply involved in Councilman Zhao's death, and it's very likely he is the Blue Demon."
As soon as his words landed, the room fell silent.
Many members of the council exchanged subtle expressions, finally turning their gaze toward the silver-haired elderly man in the gray suit.
His face was thin, with sharp, knife-like features.
Standing behind him was an exceptionally strong man in a black trench coat, wearing sunglasses, like an immovable giant tower.
"Deputy Director Zhang, there's one thing I'd like to ask you."
The silver-haired elderly man suddenly spoke, his voice calm, with a hint of faint authority.
"Representative Chu, please go ahead!" Zhang Zhengtai responded respectfully.
"The genetic modification technology in Nanjiang City has progressed so far?"
"Can modified humans practice martial arts and improve without any modification traces, even with high-level scanning equipment?"
His tone was indifferent, and Zhang Zhengtai's heart sank.
As for the other people, some council members who were not part of the Safety Bureau also noticed the key issue.
Any modified human would have certain identifiable traits.
And since part of their flesh and blood had been replaced by metal modification modules, even if they disguised it, it would be impossible for them to cultivate ancient martial arts.
"Representative Chu, this does indeed raise significant doubts."
With an awkward expression, Zhang Zhengtai quickly explained, "So we have a second hypothesis: that Chen Feng may be related to the Blue Demon."
"We want to bring him into the Safety Bureau to see if we can learn the whereabouts of Blue Demon from him."
"Oh."
The silver-haired elderly man, known as Representative Chu, responded lightly, his expression gradually becoming neutral.
"By the way, the situation has already developed for more than twelve hours."
"The Safety Bureau of Nanjiang City still hasn't found solid evidence to lock down the suspect? Everything is based on assumptions?"
His voice was light, but it carried heavy weight in the hearts of everyone present.
"Representative Chu, I—"
"You need not say anything more"
Representative Chu raised his hand to interrupt, visibly displeased. "I am now doubting the ability of your Nanjiang Safety Bureau and the United Coalition."
"The Utopia riots have occurred three times in a row, the Serpent Spirit Sect has not been eradicated, and some fish have slipped through the net."
"And yet, a member of the United Coalition actually colluded with a divine servant of the Serpent Spirit Sect, publicly activating armed modules to kill others, causing the Heaven Punishment system to intervene."
"Tell me, is this the kind of person you have in Nanjiang's United Coalition?"
In his scolding, Representative Chu frowned and angrily surveyed the room.
Except for a few people, most avoided eye contact, not daring to look him in the eye.
Including Zhang Zhengtai, a cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and he opened his mouth but was left speechless.
The Evil God Sect and the United Coalition were already at odds, and Utopia was a notorious terrorist organization.
Nanjiang City had indeed handled things poorly.
"I see in your report that Sky Eye detected traces of Utopia at the crime scene?"
Suddenly, Representative Chu picked up a document and asked.
Inside was a photo of a silver-gray modified human standing on the rooftop, overlooking the city.
"Yes!"
Zhang Zhengtai quickly responded, "This is our third hypothesis. Utopia has been very active recently, and they have planned to assassinate Councilman Zhao."
"So, we suspect that Blue Demon could be someone from Utopia, and this Silver Wolf might have appeared to cover his escape."
"Oh?"
Representative Chu frowned slightly.
"Didn't you just say that Gao Tian Heng, who was with the Tian Heng Group, was from Utopia?"
"Blue Demon killed Gao Tian Heng and others, disrupting Utopia's plan to collect gold, so aren't they enemies?"
"We suspect it might be a feigned injury tactic!" Zhang Zhengtai spoke, holding his ground.
"Gao Tian Heng was just a pawn used by Utopia, and they might have originally targeted Councilman Zhao, to misdirect us."
As he continued, he noticed the slight change in Representative Chu's expression and gave an encouraging look.
Zhang Zhengtai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, speaking quickly, hoping his explanation would convince the others.
"By intentionally killing Zhao Jiapeng, and then separately dispatching people to intercept Dong Tao, Utopia made it difficult for Zhao to have proper protection."
"Finally, they exposed their movements and led Zhao out to the Hong Guang Group."
"Blue Demon's initial assassination of Gao Tian Heng was just to divert our attention, and later, he tried to mislead us, which is why it ended up implicating the Flame Tiger style."
Zhang Zhengtai said everything in one breath and felt a little dry in his mouth.
He even started to wonder if what he said was actually the truth?
Unconsciously, he glanced again at Representative Chu.
"Hmm."
"This is what the Safety Bureau of Nanjiang City should look like. Well done, Director Zhang."
Representative Chu's expression softened and he gave a slight nod, even omitting the "Deputy" in his address.
Zhang Zhengtai's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately understood much more.
"Since we already have a lead, let's proceed with this."
"Utopia has been very active in our Feng Province lately, assassinating several United Coalition members."
"Now, I, as the representative of the Provincial Council, announce that we will immediately begin a campaign to eliminate the Utopia organization in Nanjiang City, and I will serve as the chief commander."
Representative Chu scanned the room once more, his tone stern as he spoke, "I hope all the members present will participate seriously in this matter and work with me to eradicate Utopia."
"The president is highly concerned about this."
(End of the Chapter)
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