Translator: Cinder Translations
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"tsk tsk."
"So it was discovered, huh?"
In the villa's living room, two figures stood and sat.
The man in the black robe stood by the window, while the woman in the red leather jacket leaned back on the sofa, holding a bottle of red wine and observing the vintage.
Upon closer inspection, one could see seven or eight other figures kneeling on one knee on the carpet behind the sofa, as though standing by.
"Discovered? You acted on your own again?"
The woman in red paused for a moment, frowning slightly.
"I was just curious about who killed Feng Li," the man in the black robe explained in a somewhat indifferent tone. "There were only a few people who descended the mountain that day. Although Flame Tiger Sect claims it was Li Chenye who did it, I don't believe that's the case."
"So?" The woman in red frowned, showing impatience.
"Heh, so I sent Black Fang to check things out, and to my surprise, Li Tong's new disciple is quite capable," the man in the black robe smiled, his eyes cold with a murderous gleam. "The fact that he detected my spying—interesting."
Seeing through his thoughts, the woman in red furrowed her brows.
"Are you insane?"
"The matter the master entrusted us with hasn't even begun properly. If Flame Tiger Sect catches on and ruins our plan, we'll both be in trouble!"
She scolded him harshly, but the man in the black robe fell silent for a moment, his murderous intent slowly fading as he regained his composure.
"Fine. I'll let him live for a bit longer," he finally decided.
---
In the city, a blue flying car zoomed up into the sky, chasing after the black crow.
The distance displayed on the windshield decreased rapidly, and the black dot under the gray clouds grew clearer. Soon, they could make out the black feathers and pitch-black eyes of the crow.
"Got it!"
"Big Head, engage cruise control."
Lin Hao didn't want to alert the target, so he planned to follow at a distance.
The two flying objects sped ahead, quickly leaving the city.
However, as they passed a tall building, the black crow made a sharp turn and suddenly vanished.
"Lost it?" Lin Hao asked in surprise as the flying car lost its target.
Chen Feng furrowed his brows and expanded his perception. He saw that the crow had dispersed mid-flight, turning into a wisp of black smoke and disappearing.
This method was somewhat similar to the Serpent Spirit Power of the Serpent Spirit Sect.
"Was I discovered?" Chen Feng speculated, realizing it was likely the power behind the crow that had noticed them.
Soon, a safety agency flying car appeared, and the communication module displayed a connection request.
"Well, we're done for."
Lin Hao removed his sunglasses, looking helpless.
The flying car was forced to stop and slowly descended to the ground.
Two security officers appeared, and Lin Hao had to show his identification and pay fines, which also resulted in points being deducted. Additionally, he was ordered not to engage the flying car mode for the next half month, and any flight routes would be blocked.
"Was it handled well?" Chen Feng asked.
"No problem, just a small issue," Lin Hao chuckled as he got back into the car. He blended into the flow of ground traffic and slowly headed to the club.
"You know, money can solve most problems."
"And in the security company, I've already prepared more than ten flying car licenses."
Chen Feng's brows relaxed, and he had time to think about the situation.
The malicious spying surely came from an enemy.
But who could it be?
Hong Guang Group?
They had already changed their shareholders and had no connection to Zhao Jianlong anymore.
People from Utopia?
At least on the surface, he had no grudge with them, and he had never heard of Utopia wielding powers of evil gods.
"It seems either the Serpent Spirit Sect or..."
His gaze flickered as he thought of the Blood Poison Hand, Feng Li, whom he had killed.
It might be related to the Cult of the Evil God.
Without hesitation, he immediately took out his phone and sent a message to his master, Li Tong.
With powerful factions like Flame Tiger Sect backing them, they were sure to have more resources and could trace clues better than he alone could.
He briefly described the situation, omitting how he had discovered it, only mentioning his suspicion.
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[Li Tong: I understand. Be careful.]
Although the reply was short, Chen Feng knew that his master would take it seriously.
Lin Hao, who had been watching silently, didn't ask any questions and quietly drove. Soon, they arrived at the mall.
There were many people coming and going, and the coffee shop downstairs was quite busy, with many young men and women sitting by the large windows.
A faint fragrance wafted through the air as Chen Feng and Lin Hao quickly headed up to the second floor, entering the club.
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"Boss!"
"Coach Chen!"
The front desk was manned by Xu Xiaoxiao, and there were snacks on the desk.
"Still sneaking snacks? Aren't you supposed to be on a diet?" Lin Hao teased as he chatted with her.
Chen Feng walked past, greeted by several coaches in Wang Cheng, and headed straight for the member area.
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"Wow, Cheng Dong, are you serious? Have you really decided?"
"Yeah, you're not joking right?"
"Will we see you again?"
Voices of surprise came from inside, and Chen Feng raised an eyebrow as he glanced over.
The training room was fully filled, and no one was late.
Li Chengdong, the center of attention today, was surrounded by people.
Next to him were Luo Yue and Zhuang Xiaoqing, among others. They had all become familiar over the past few days, and most had concerned expressions.
"Don't take it too seriously."
"I'm just going to adjust and get used to things. If there's an opportunity, I'll still come back when I can," Li Chengdong explained with a smile.
---
Just as footsteps approached, everyone turned to look as the tall and burly Chen Feng walked in, quickly greeted by everyone.
A few words of conversation later, Chen Feng asked about the noise.
He learned that the United Coalition had established a special operations team, led by the Safety Bureau, with forces drawn from the military and city defense to eliminate Utopia.
Li Chengdong had been persuaded by his family elders, and now he was keen to seize the opportunity, hoping to join and prove himself.
"After returning from the military, I kind of regret it," Li Chengdong said with anticipation. "Now, there's a chance, so I want to give it another try."
Chen Feng could tell he was serious. Li Chengdong, from a military family, had good connections with the Nanjiang military and the council.
The chaos caused by Utopia was indeed a crisis but also a potential opportunity.
"Always welcome to return," Chen Feng patted his shoulder, appreciating his earnestness.
"I will come back for sure, coach," Li Chengdong smiled. "When I have time, I'll come by and ask you to teach me a few moves."
Chen Feng nodded, and the class extended a little longer.
---
After the lesson, as the members left, Lin Hao appeared, and they both went to the break room for dinner.
"It looks like things are getting more complicated," Lin Hao murmured, sensing more than Chen Feng.
Eliminating Utopia was supposed to be a minor operation, but the United Coalition's response seemed disproportionate, gathering forces from all over.
"Maybe Utopia isn't as simple as it seems," Chen Feng thought of their actions collecting gold and stirring protests, causing riots.
Lin Hao didn't comment on it but silently decided to send people to investigate further.
---
After dinner, Chen Feng followed Lin Hao to the office and saw the Bronze-grade metal he needed.
It was still the same size as a human head. Along with the debt from last time, he directly transferred five hundred thousand to Lin Hao.
"Heh, getting rich, huh?" Lin Hao teased, smiling as he looked at the bank transfer information.
He didn't refuse or dodge; he knew Chen Feng's personality. He didn't like leaving debts unpaid.
Moreover, he was aware that the money probably came from the Flame Tiger Sect, so it was legitimate.
"Next time, leave me a bit more."
Without explaining further, Chen Feng simply gave instructions and expressed his gratitude, "Of course, if you can get Silver-grade, that would be best."
His Steel Bone talent had already broken through to LV2, and he suspected that the effect of the Bronze-grade metal might be significantly reduced.
Lin Hao didn't know all this, he just patted his chest in agreement.
After parting ways, Chen Feng left the shopping mall as usual, hailing a rideshare to go home.
Perhaps because it was rare for him to use the flying car today, he felt a bit unsettled on the way.
Until finally, he arrived back at his apartment.
Click!
The door opened and closed again. He quickly washed up and got ready.
Then, he entered his bedroom and opened the metal box.
The copper-colored metal, the size of a human head, appeared in front of him. With a firm hand, he reached out and pressed it against the metal.
Activating his Steel Bone talent, several seconds passed.
[Metal Essence +1!]
[Metal Essence +1!]
[Metal Essence +1!]
Panel prompts appeared in succession. Chen Feng could feel a faint essence being drawn from the metal, rapidly absorbed by his bones.
This continued for ten seconds.
Crack!
A harsh sound rang out as a crack spread across the Bronze metal.
Crack crack!
The noise continued, and in the blink of an eye, the metal shattered into dust, leaving only powder on the ground.
[Steel Bone LV2: 7/100]
"The effect has halved."
As expected, Chen Feng shook his head, but he wasn't too disappointed.
After all, his Steel Bone's hardness was now on par with Silver-grade.
It was normal for the effect of a lower-level Bronze metal to be reduced.
"I need to find a way to earn some more money and see if I can get Lin Hao to buy Silver-grade metal."
"Or perhaps..."
Chen Feng inexplicably thought of the silver-gray cyborg.
He must have quite a bit of Silver-grade metal, right?
His gaze flickered, and he silently made a decision.
Finally, he lay on the bed and slowly closed his eyes.
The mist swirled, and the golden light orb was something he could never forget.
Thud!
The ground beneath him shifted, and as he opened his eyes, he saw varying heights of buildings ahead, nearly a thousand meters away.
The quiet courtyard of a villa stood, the stone statue creature wrapped in white-gray wings like a giant stone sculpture.
The golden light points flickered next to it, appearing to radiate some strange allure in Chen Feng's eyes.
"Let's just go for it!"
Once his thoughts settled, he immediately left the small residential building, intending to head straight to the villa.
But soon, he paused.
He placed down the black backpack on his body, ensuring everything was in order before leaping forward.
Buzz!
A flash of green light, and with a thud, his figure landed.
Bending his knees, he stood.
With the single horn of his green-black armor glowing, his red eyes brightened, and in an instant, he left a trail of afterimages, speeding away.
He didn't use his Blood Wings to conserve energy.
He activated his ordinary Azure Armor state for self-preservation.
Having witnessed the battle between the stone statue creature and the giant bear last night, Chen Feng had already formed a rough assessment.
It was likely approaching the Gold-grade level.
Stronger than anyone he had encountered.
Judging he didn't have full confidence, he decided to remain cautious.
Thud thud thud!
His steps quickened, closing the distance rapidly.
Thanks to the powerful physique from the Giant Tiger and Bronze Statue Techniques, Chen Feng's stamina was long-lasting. Just using his Azure Armor alone could sustain him for twenty to thirty minutes.
As for the energy spent on the journey, he controlled his power, not going all out. Instead, he gradually slowed down as he approached, expanding his senses.
Thud!
He halted, looking at the massive pit in front of him on the road.
It spanned over ten meters, and the closer he got to the center, the deeper it went. He could clearly see the shattered concrete and rebar inside, as well as the soil and gravel deeper down.
This was the site of the battle between the two creatures yesterday.
Looking ahead, he could see the villa surrounded by withered trees, including the stone statue creature.
As for the northern side, a few hundred meters away, the mist shrouded the area, which was the direction the giant bear had taken when it left yesterday.
"I wonder why they fought."
The thought passed quickly, and Chen Feng slowed his steps, planning to bypass the road-blocking pit.
The distance between him and the villa had already shrunk to about a hundred meters.
Buzz!
In an instant, as if sensing something, a powerful aura suddenly awakened. Chen Feng's expression changed instantly.
Within his perception, the stone statue creature's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, its body entirely gray-white like stone.
Then, its folded wings rapidly spread open, creating a fierce wind.
In the next second, it lifted off the ground and headed straight for him.
"!!"
Danger!
Chen Feng didn't hesitate for a second and couldn't care about conserving energy.
His Blood Wing flared behind him in an instant, and his figure blurred, leaving only an afterimage.
Boom!!
It was like a meteor crashing to the ground.
The shockwave erupted, like a hurricane.
The already collapsed road was further impacted, with dust and debris flying everywhere.
Several streetlight poles collapsed, as an afterimage dispersed.
"So strong."
Chen Feng had already appeared fifty meters in the air. His pupils contracted as he looked down at the deep pit below.
The massive stone-gray statue slowly stood up, dark golden lines swirling around its body like armor.
Its humanoid shape was robust, with arms and legs as thick as stone pillars. The dark golden helmet on its square head exuded an indescribable majesty and solemnity.
Powerful. Violent!
This was Chen Feng's most intuitive impression.
Standing at over five meters tall, it could easily be mistaken for a sturdy giant rock on a cliff.
Instantly, Chen Feng's heart grew cold, and his expression turned cautious.
He glanced back at the villa a hundred and fifty meters away.
The golden light orb hovered quietly above the ground, now without any interference from other forces.
Without hesitation, he activated his Blood Wings once more, vanishing from his spot in an instant.
Whoosh!!
The air exploded, and the fifty-meter distance was closed in the blink of an eye.
With just one hundred more meters, he could capture the golden light orb!
(End of the Chapter)
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