Translator: Cinder Translations
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Buzz!
At 7:05 AM, Chen Feng woke up.
As he opened his eyes, he felt a bit of regret.
Though it was far away, almost a thousand meters, his intuition told him that the golden light spot in that villa was definitely a unique light orb.
It was either a skill or a talent.
"Too bad it's too far. Otherwise, I'd be able to tell what kind of light orb it is."
He shook his head, thinking about the stone statue creature he had encountered. It was incredibly powerful, on par with the Giant Rage Bear.
Even though it was so far away, he could sense that its aura was several times stronger than his master's. At the very least, he knew he was no match for it.
With this thought, he got up, pulled open the curtains, and looked at the sky outside.
It was gloomy and cloudy, with gray replacing the usual vast blue.
The noise of people gradually grew from the cement buildings below, and the fruit shop downstairs was also becoming active.
The noodle shop by the street had a good business, with many people sitting at the wooden tables.
"Strength..."
Chen Feng's gaze deepened. He made a decision to try his best to enter the dream tonight and see if he could get that light orb.
The stone statue creature was strong, but he had to give it a shot.
He quickly washed up and got dressed.
He then returned to his bedroom, picked up the green porcelain bottle from the bedside, removed the wooden stopper, and poured out a round pill.
Crack!
The Flame Origin Pill was crushed and swallowed, his posture steady as he began to visualize the Red Tiger.
The intense medicinal energy spread through his body, circulating, constantly absorbing and strengthening.
One hour later...
[Crimson Tiger Force: Blazing Flame (72/100) +]
"Still a bit more."
Chen Feng glanced at his panel, noting the number of limit-breaking points.
This dream had yielded three limit-breaking points. If he added the previous ones, it made five in total.
It wasn't enough to break through the Crimson Tiger Force.
He shook his head, suppressing the urgency, then changed into loose, clean black clothes, put on a black jacket, and left the neighborhood.
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"Good morning, Senior Brother!"
"Morning, Senior Brother!"
Entering the Jinhua District branch of the Martial Arts Institute, the warm greetings came one after another.
Chen Feng nodded in response, and soon saw Lin Hao hurrying behind him, almost late.
"Why so late?" he asked in confusion, remembering Lin Hao usually came early.
"Sigh, don't mention it," Lin Hao replied, his eyes a bit dark from lack of sleep. "The modified module they sent last night almost got lost. I didn't sleep until late into the night."
Chen Feng raised an eyebrow. "The Utopia Organization and the United Coalition are at odds lately, and forces from all sides are being redirected. There are people at the city gate trying to stir up trouble, hoping to profit from the chaos."
Lin Hao, still carrying his black baseball bag and dressed in gray athletic clothes, continued, "Luckily, I know some people, and it got sorted out."
"By the way, your friend's high-grade metal has arrived. Make sure to pick it up at the club tonight."
Chen Feng was silent for a moment.
"If you need help, just say so."
He spoke seriously, wanting to return Lin Hao's favor and also not wanting his much-needed high-grade metal to be lost, which could delay the growth of his Steel Bones Talent.
"Of course," Lin Hao said with a smile. "Don't worry, my security company is almost set up, and the connections at the club will help. There shouldn't be any problems."
Chen Feng nodded, knowing that if Lin Hao ever encountered a real issue, he wouldn't hesitate to ask for help.
The two exchanged a few simple words before Chen Feng watched Lin Hao enter the training room and waited in place for Cao Tong to arrive.
"Junior Brother Chen?"
"Brother Cao, same as usual. Could you help me call a few people?"
The practice of the Bronze Statue Technique required coordinated strikes, which was why he continued coming to the martial arts hall.
As for returning to the sect, there were still club matters to handle, especially with the high-grade metals only Lin Hao could help him with. If he kept going back and forth, it would be too exhausting.
"No problem, I'll arrange it right away."
Cao Tong smiled and replied, and Chen Feng suddenly thought of Xu Tingxiao.
It would be great if this guy was also at the martial arts hall.
"By the way, Junior Brother Chen, you'll probably be coming to the hall a lot recently, right?"
Cao Tong suddenly asked, and Chen Feng was a bit puzzled.
"Why?"
"It's not a big deal," Cao Tong scratched the back of his head and explained. "The Southern Martial Arts Conference is about to start. According to past rules, martial artists from nearby cities would come down the mountain to travel, train, and spar."
"Normally, a true disciple would be stationed at each branch to ensure the reputation isn't damaged, but now that we have you here..."
Chen Feng understood. The martial arts Conference was coming, and some people would want to practice or challenge themselves in hopes of a breakthrough.
According to Cao Tong, anyone brave enough to challenge would not be weak. At the very least, they would be at the level of refining the body, and sometimes even people with inner strength techniques would appear.
The rule was that sparring should be done with someone of the same level. Losing once or twice didn't matter, but if you kept losing, the reputation of the martial arts hall would suffer.
"I understand."
Chen Feng nodded, accepting the responsibility as the elder brother of the Flame Tiger Sect.
Moreover, neither his master nor his third uncle would have any objections.
"Hehe, that's good."
"With you here, Junior Brother Chen, our branch is definitely secure."
Cao Tong grinned, praising him. The admiration in his eyes grew stronger.
Although the sect had concealed the details of the Blood Poison Hand's death, Cao Tong had heard that the person had entered the inner strength realm.
After a brief exchange, Chen Feng entered his private meditation room.
Bang!
The wooden stopper from the white jade porcelain bottle was removed, and another Muscle Fortifying Tiger Bone Pill was placed in his hand.
There were seven pills in the bottle, and this was the fifth.
He immediately chewed it up.
A faint fishy taste spread, but he suppressed the discomfort and swallowed it, then stripped off his jacket and black clothes, standing bare-chested.
As if sensing that he was ready, footsteps echoed, and ten core class students, holding sticks and with varying expressions, gathered outside his meditation room.
"Is it true? Senior Brother asked for ten people?"
"Yeah, are we really fighting ten of us? Can Senior Brother handle it?"
Some students, new to the task, asked, while others, like Pei Yue, who had come to build good relations, stood by quietly, listening intently.
"Do you know why he called for ten people?" one of them asked.
"Why?"
"To make sure you don't die from exhaustion."
The conversation raised some confusion among the newcomers, but those with experience only chuckled.
They knocked on the door, heard the signal, and entered.
Thud!
A tall, muscular man stood still, his calm gaze exuding a sense of aggression, like a wild beast ready to strike.
His muscles were sculpted like marble, clear lines filled with violent beauty.
"Senior Brother!" one of them called, trembling.
"Mm, let's begin."
Chen Feng nodded, scanning the group before locking eyes with Pei Yue for a moment.
He sank into a horse stance and once again visualized the Crimson Tiger Soaring Through the Sky Diagram.
"You five rest for now. The rest of you, step forward."
The experienced students made a quick move, positioning themselves around Chen Feng.
They exchanged glances and tightened their grips.
Suddenly, the sound of five sticks dropping in unison was heard.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The strikes landed one after another, and a few had already begun practicing their bone training.
The newcomers winced at the sight, and Pei Yue began to regret coming here for a beating.
"Put in more effort."
A deep voice rang out, calm and undisturbed.
Everyone's hearts trembled, and the sounds of the strikes continued to echo.
Until the end, the wooden clubs had broken over ten times.
The new arrivals and the old five were lying on the floor of the quiet room, resting. Their faces were pale, and their arms trembled, unable to lift. They exchanged bitter smiles, finally understanding the logic they had heard earlier.
He was a fucking monster!
They all shared the same thought and look.
Chen Feng didn't pay much attention to it. His body was bronzed, yet there wasn't a single white mark on him.
"Next time, use iron rods," he said calmly, and the ten nodded bitterly.
After that, he said a word of thanks and watched them leave.
Chen Feng then turned his attention to his progress panel.
[Bronze Statue Technique: Bronze Skin (70/100)+]
"Five limit breaks, this should be enough."
The difficulty of the Bronze Statue Technique was less than that of the Crimson Tiger Force, and Chen Feng hesitated about whether to add points.
After all, the Crimson Tiger Force was also approaching a breakthrough.
However, he thought about that golden light ball again.
He had decided to try it tonight, and when facing that mysterious stone statue creature, the stronger he was, the better.
Furthermore, with the Steel Bones enhancement, the improvement of the Bronze Statue Technique wouldn't be weaker than the Crimson Tiger Force.
"Level up!"
Suppressing his hesitation, Chen Feng immediately made a decisive decision.
In an instant, all five limit break points were consumed, and boundless insights flooded him.
Day and night, grinding muscles and bones, hitting himself with rods.
Countless sweat drops nourished the bronze, with the scorching sun overhead and the frosty winter snow all bearing witness to his growing strength.
Buzz!
[Bronze Statue Technique: Bronze Bones (1/100)]
A panel notification appeared, and Chen Feng suddenly heard a series of popping noises coming from within his body.
[Strength: 18.6→19.7]
[Agility: 17.2→18.0]
[Constitution: 22.5→24.7]
[Willpower: 19.2→20.1]
"5 points of attribute increase."
Chen Feng clenched his fist.
Although he didn't focus on strength, the Bronze Statue Technique still boosted his punch strength by over 200 kilograms.
But that wasn't the key.
The 2.2-point increase in constitution was the most satisfying part.
His physical hardness had surpassed that of copper-level metals, and if he activated the Giant Tiger form, it might already be close to silver-steel grade.
Moreover, his rebound force, enhanced by both Steel Bone and Bronze Bone, had reached 20%.
He then stepped to the window of the quiet room.
His energy gathered, and his skin quickly turned bronze.
There was no significant change in his body shape, but it seemed denser, as if forged and hammered like steel.
Although it was still the same body shape as before, the muscles and lines now gave an impression of extremely refined power.
"Bronze Bones."
Chen Feng internally observed, clearly seeing that his bones had turned bronze in color.
He then turned around, facing away from the window.
With the activation of the Steel Bone talent, a piece of bone quietly emerged from his palm.
It wasn't white anymore but a shade of bronze, close to dark gold.
"Not bad."
He nodded in satisfaction and retracted the Steel Bone.
By noon, he stopped his training.
He had lunch with Lin Hao in the cafeteria.
Steak, lamb legs, fried chicken, shrimp balls, milk, eggs—mountain-like food mixed with rice filled his stomach, leaving the surrounding students dumbfounded, envious, and impressed.
As time passed, it was soon around 3 or 4 p.m. After finishing his Crimson Tiger Force training in the quiet room, Chen Feng took a shower, changed clothes, and prepared to leave the martial arts center.
The outside was bustling with people, and Lin Hao was already waiting for him in a blue sports car.
"Get in the car," Lin Hao called as he parked by the entrance. Chen Feng nodded and stepped forward.
Thud!
His foot hit the ground.
But in the next moment.
"Hm?"
His gaze sharpened, and Chen Feng suddenly felt a trace of malice.
Cold, distant, watching.
His expression turned serious, and he activated his perception to search.
Everything around him was magnified, and the street within a hundred meters appeared like a 3D map suspended in his mind.
On the opposite side of the street, pedestrians were leaving with shopping bags, some were chatting on public benches, and employees were entering and exiting a company building. Someone bent down to pick up a fallen employee ID, and faces flashed by through the car windows in the passing traffic.
A crow flew past overhead, and ants moved on the grass below.
"A crow?"
Chen Feng frowned slightly and noticed a black crow standing on the power pole across the street.
Its entire body was pitch black, including its eyes.
It seemed ordinary at first, but Chen Feng knew very well—it was maliciously watching him.
"What's wrong?" Lin Hao asked, noticing his change in expression.
Lin Hao turned his head and followed his gaze, frowning slightly, puzzled about why a crow would appear here.
Caw!
The crow suddenly called out, then immediately took flight.
Without hesitation, Chen Feng got into Lin Hao's car.
"Chase it!"
His tone was cold. He didn't believe a crow would hold malice against him. So, there must be some force controlling it.
Lin Hao was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.
But seeing the seriousness on Chen Feng's face, he didn't hesitate to ask any more questions.
Buzz!!!
The accelerator was slammed to the floor, and the engine roared.
Pedestrians were surprised, and the students coming and going from the martial arts center also looked on.
The blue car drifted as it made a turn and slid out of the parking lot, merging into the asphalt road.
"This little guy flies fast," Lin Hao said, his tone oddly excited as the crow flew higher.
As he spoke, Lin Hao shouted:
"Big Head, activate holographic mode!"
"Yes!"
A childish voice responded, and a bobblehead popped up on the car's display screen—Chen Feng had seen it before but didn't pay much attention to it.
However, the scenery inside the car suddenly changed.
Both car windows rapidly turned black, and the view through the windshield seemed to extend, becoming much wider.
Faint blue lights flashed rapidly, crisscrossing and gathering on the glass.
"Big Head, activate tracking and lock onto the crow flying above."
"Yes, Master!"
The childish voice was like a human's, and the next moment, a blue circle appeared on the windshield, encircling the crow.
A series of numbers appeared, constantly changing, clearly representing the distance between the car and the crow.
But because of the traffic and pedestrians, the car speed was slowed, so the distance was increasing.
"Is it something serious?" Lin Hao suddenly asked.
Chen Feng nodded.
"Alright, if we get penalized, we get penalized."
Without further hesitation, Lin Hao immediately gave the command to the AI.
"Big Head, activate flight mode and autopilot!"
"Yes!"
The clear, crisp voice rang out, and Chen Feng saw the button in the center console press itself.
Buzz!
The car trembled.
A rear spoiler lifted from the back of the car, and metal wings extended outward from the sides near the bottom of the car.
"Hold on tight!" Lin Hao reminded, handing over a pair of sunglasses and even letting go of the steering wheel.
In the blink of an eye, four exhaust pipes from the rear of the car erupted with red and blue flames.
Whoosh!!!
The car sped up instantly, and the surrounding high-rise buildings and greenery kept retreating.
180 km/h, 190 km/h, 200 km/h.
The car speed indicator shot up rapidly, and just as they were about to hit the rear of a car in front...
Buzz!!!
The car suddenly lifted, flying several meters into the air.
The four wheels retracted and leveled, and in the blink of an eye, all that remained in the view was the expanse of skyscrapers and the open sky.
(End of the Chapter)
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