Translator: Cinder Translations
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Roar!!
The angry roar behind him gradually grew fainter.
Chen Feng felt the solid shoulder beneath his feet as his clothes were blown by the strong wind.
The sound of rushing wind filled his ears and mouth. For the first time, Chen Feng experienced what high-speed movement felt like without the protection of his blue armor.
Immediately, his mind gave the command.
The Shield Golem slowed down gradually. He felt a slight shift underfoot as the solid stone blocks moved.
Whoosh!!
With a flap of its stone wings, the giant stood tall, lightly landing on the ground.
The sound was minimal. Chen Feng leaped off and landed lightly.
Buzz!
His mental energy ceased to drain as the massive Shield Golem quickly became ethereal, transforming into a streak of golden white light and rushing into his forehead.
"It's a pity. If only the mental consumption were a bit less."
His face turned slightly pale, but it wasn't yet to the point of exhaustion.
He recalled his situation before obtaining the talent, when the Shield Golem had acted autonomously without external help.
"Maybe, once the Heart of Glory level increases, this consumption will reduce."
"Or perhaps, it will become fully independent and no longer need my support."
Chen Feng thought for a moment and came to a certain guess.
This conclusion came both from the subconscious feedback of his new talent and from his previous experiences with other talents.
He didn't dwell on it for long because his attention had already shifted.
[Talent Growth Conditions: Obtain enough Glory Points!]
This was the prompt he received when he obtained the talent. Glory Points were the necessary fuel for growth.
Since receiving the memory belonging to the Shield Golem and Luona, Chen Feng had a rough idea of how to gain Glory Points.
"Defend Glory, achieve victory."
"In other words, it's about securing an absolute victory in battle."
With a thoughtful expression, Chen Feng had some ideas.
Without wasting time, he rested briefly to recover his energy and then swiftly headed back to the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
As time passed, he again gained three Limit-Breaking Light Orbs.
The martial arts hall building was getting closer, and the distance between them had narrowed to only a few hundred meters.
Buzz!
The world spun around him, and everything went black.
Having gained experience, Chen Feng didn't resist and immediately felt his footing give way as his side hit the ground.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw familiar bright lights and a white-painted ceiling.
After a brief adjustment, Chen Feng got up and drew the curtains.
The sky was overcast, and his phone showed that today's weather was cloudy with rain.
From the fruit shop downstairs, he heard the sound of people talking. Chen Feng extended his perception and noticed that the Shield Golem's phantom still lingered in his mind.
Even though he was back in reality, he could still summon it to command in battle.
Then, he turned his attention to the panel.
[Limit Break Points: 5]
"That's enough to break through the Crimson Tiger Force."
"But..."
He went out, washed up, and then got everything in order.
Returning to his bedroom, Chen Feng picked up a blue porcelain bottle and poured out the last piece of Flame Origin Pills.
Every bit helped, especially considering it was worth two Limit-Breaking Light Orbs.
Crunch!
He chewed and swallowed.
A slight bitterness spread, but he forced it down.
After standing still and guiding his energy to refine the medicinal effect for an hour...
[Crimson Tiger Force: Flame (96%)+]
"Upgrade!"
With a surge of energy, one Limit-Breaking Light Orb rapidly consumed.
His internal body felt the intense heat spreading out. A deep red energy quickly spread to his arms and legs.
He looked down as the energy continued to surge, expanding into his chest, abdomen, and shoulders.
The sensation continued for a minute or two until the entire body was flowing with deep red energy.
The panel prompt appeared automatically.
[Crimson Tiger Force: Steel Fire (1%)+]
[Strength: 19.7 → 20.7]
[Agility: 18.0 → 19.0]
[Constitution: 24.7 → 26.2]
[Willpower: 20.1 → 21.5]
"Five points in total."
Chen Feng's gaze shifted slightly as he observed the results.
Strength and agility seemed fine. His strength increased by around 200 kilograms, and his punches were close to two tons now.
Constitution also saw a significant boost.
With the energy flowing through his body, his internal organs, muscles, and blood vessels all underwent secondary refinement.
But...
"Willpower?"
The increase was comparable to that of his constitution.
Chen Feng raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. He could even feel that his mental strength had improved a bit.
"Wait..."
His mind flickered, and he recalled some cultivation tips Master Li Tong had mentioned.
The first level of energy cultivation focuses on Training the limbs and refining the internal organs.
But at the second level, the energy spreads throughout the body.
When the energy reaches its peak, it must begin to cultivate the mind and perfectly control every strand of energy.
Only then can the mind and energy begin to merge, achieving the third level—unity of inner power and external release.
"Training the mind is, to some extent, training the spirit."
Realization dawned on him, and Chen Feng understood the reason.
Without further thoughts, he quickly packed up.
He walked to the kitchen, cooked a large pack of noodles, and ate several loaves of bread and three eggs.
Only then did he feel sufficiently full. He left the house and walked out of the community.
"Beep beep, move your car."
"How much are your oranges per kilogram?"
"Quick, load the car; I've paid over there."
The fruit shop downstairs remained noisy as Chen Feng crossed the crowded street and reached the asphalt road.
Although Master Li Tong had given him two properties in the city center, he didn't plan to live in them for now.
He had gotten used to his current place, and the thought of moving and taking his luggage didn't appeal to him.
Buzz buzz!
His phone vibrated.
[Chen Yun: How's everything at home? I saw the news that many cities in Feng Province have been in turmoil lately.]
Chen Feng glanced at the message on his phone.
Although the central city of Yun Port hadn't been affected, it was still located in Feng Province, which was experiencing some unrest.
"How about you? How's everything on your side?"
Chen Feng stopped a taxi and asked, curious about the order in the central city.
"It's fine here."
Chen Yun replied, explaining, "Radiant Star Academy is located inside Yun Port, and it's close to the Provincial Union. But I heard from my classmates that there was a minor disturbance at the outer city port, but it was quickly suppressed."
"They've also made entry and exit procedures stricter, and the number of foreign cargo ships at the port has decreased."
Chen Yun sent several messages, and Chen Feng quietly read them while sitting in the taxi.
The Red Nation covered a vast area with over ten provinces, occupying most of the eastern continent.
Feng Province was in the southwest of the Red Nation, bordering some war-torn small countries.
Lin Hao had once given him some information about the central city.
Yun Port was the only central city in Feng Province, located closest to the southern lands, near the ocean.
In comparison, South City was a bit farther north, about a thousand kilometers away.
After confirming that Chen Yun was fine, Chen Feng put away his phone.
The sign of the Flame Tiger Martial Arts Hall was right in front of him. He paid through his phone, got out of the taxi, and entered the hall.
"Good morning, Senior Brother!"
"Good morning, Senior Brother!"
The respectful greetings of the students filled the air. He was surprised not to see Lin Hao there.
It was unusual for Lin Hao to be late or absent.
Buzz buzz!
As he walked up to the second floor, his phone vibrated with an incoming call.
[Lin Hao]
He picked up the phone in confusion, and a tired voice came through.
"Help me ask for leave."
The voice sounded weary, as if he had pulled an all-nighter and was in poor condition.
Chen Feng sensed something was off, but before he could speak, the other party continued.
"Also, I'd like to ask your friend for a favor."
"Is it possible tonight?"
After a moment of silence, Chen Feng naturally would not refuse, but he was curious about the reason.
"Something happened last night. A batch of modified modules I had sent to Nanjiang was stolen."
"Among them, there was a piece of silver-steel grade metal I had reserved for your friend."
Upon hearing this, a cold gleam flashed in Chen Feng's eyes.
"Who did it?"
"Someone dared to steal my high-grade metal."
"I don't know. The other party used several cyborgs. They don't seem like a small faction."
"I've already set up a tracker. They didn't notice and hid it in the suburbs."
On the other end of the line, Lin Hao sat in his study.
With dark circles under his eyes, though tired, his expression was colder than usual.
"So tonight, I hope your friend can lend a hand and help retrieve our stuff."
"No problem, he'll agree." Chen Feng nodded in agreement.
Lin Hao let out a sigh of relief, then chatted for a bit before hanging up the phone.
Some sunlight filtered through the window. He sat behind the wooden desk in his study, leaning against a black leather chair.
Looking along the shadows that crossed the room, Lin Hao noticed an elderly man in a black suit standing across from him at the red-painted wooden desk.
His hair was neatly combed in a three-seven style, and he wore white gloves on his arms, giving off an elegant, gentlemanly aura.
"Young master, this matter, I can handle it alone."
"Wasting a favor like this isn't worth it."
The elderly man spoke softly, and upon closer inspection, his left eye seemed to have a hint of dark gold, almost like it was made of metal.
Lin Hao shook his head gently, immediately rejecting the suggestion: "Liu Bo, we still haven't confirmed how strong the enemy is, we should be more cautious."
"As for the favor, we can always exchange it later."
Upon hearing this, Liu Bo, the elderly butler, said nothing more.
But there was a hint of contentment in his eyes, as if he felt that the young master had truly grown up.
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Bang!!
An iron rod crashed down, and a dull thud echoed.
A muscular figure stood in the quiet room, resembling a silent giant tiger, allowing all the iron rods to fall.
Bang! Bang!
Sweat streamed down the heads of the core disciples as they put their all into the effort.
Time passed, and after two hours, the muscular figure finally spoke.
"Well done."
As his voice fell, the bronze color on his body quietly faded.
Although they had expected it, and this was not the first time they had experienced such a scene, the core disciples, who were slumped against the walls of the quiet room, still felt a shiver down their spines.
The door to the quiet room opened and closed, and the disciples, all claiming it wasn't hard, finally left.
The atmosphere was still, and Chen Feng looked up at the panel in front of him.
[Bronze Statue Skill: Copper Bones (16%)+]
The sixth Muscle Fortifying Tiger Bone Pill had been consumed, but the progress had only increased by about 15%.
Chen Feng looked at the remaining limit-breaking items—four left.
Whether to continue improving the Bronze Statue Skill or use them on the Red Tiger Fist, neither would be enough to break through the next boundary.
"Forget it."
Suppressing the thought, Chen Feng decided to hold onto the limit-breaking items for now and use them all at once when he had enough.
By noon, he changed clothes and went to the cafeteria for lunch.
In the afternoon, he continued practicing martial arts, but someone knocked on the door to the quiet room.
Knock! Knock!
"Senior brother, Junior Uncle and Senior Brother Xu are here."
Raising an eyebrow upon hearing the news, Chen Feng immediately finished his training and walked with the person to the lounge.
Cao Tong, who had already entered the Inner Strength stage, was respectfully pouring tea inside. Two figures stood and sat.
The former, dressed in casual blue sportswear, looked handsome and stood by the window near the corridor, watching the movements in the other training rooms.
Though still young, his chin raised arrogantly, as though looking down on everyone.
It was none other than the second disciple, Xu Tingxiao.
As for Junior Uncle Li Chenye, he wore a grayish-white sweater and black trousers. His deep-set eyes were calm as he sat by the tea table, gently nodding as he accepted the tea from Cao Tong.
"Now that you've entered Inner Strength, I will add another direct disciple."
"The Sect Leader already knows about it and asked me to tell you that you can go to the mountain tomorrow."
Cao Tong said with a smile, feeling that a heavy weight had finally been lifted.
Xu Tingxiao, however, wasn't as interested and quickly turned his head, looking towards the door.
"Junior Uncle."
Chen Feng softly called as he entered.
"Mm."
Li Chenye lightly nodded, his gaze resting on Chen Feng for a moment.
His expression paused slightly, as if sensing something.
"Senior Brother."
Xu Tingxiao called out from the side.
Though still somewhat unwilling, most of his earlier rebellious thoughts had faded after witnessing the death of Blood Poison Hand, Feng Li.
In the ensuing moments, he walked to the tea table, grabbed a gray bag, and took out a jade bottle.
"This is from Master. He said your Muscle Fortifying Tiger Bone Pills should be used up."
"As for the Flame Origin Pills, Master said those shouldn't be used too often, so one bottle should be enough."
Chen Feng was somewhat surprised. He had originally planned to return to the mountain gate to pick it up himself.
"Thanks, Junior Brother."
After thanking him with a nod, he immediately asked the two why they had come down the mountain.
"I said before, I want to go down the mountain for some training, seeking a breakthrough."
"Coincidentally, Junior Uncle also plans to go down and take a walk, so we came together."
Xu Tingxiao didn't hide anything, while Li Chenye had already withdrawn his gaze and resumed his calm demeanor.
"Senior Brother said you might encounter the Cult of Evil God's spies."
"I'm coming down this time to observe their methods."
Chen Feng understood, guessing that this might have been arranged by their Master.
Junior Uncle was an expert at the True Intent stage, comparable to some sect leaders.
With him going down the mountain, the matter with the Cult of Evil God was likely no longer a concern.
"By the way, Chen Feng, Senior Brother asked me to tell you."
"The Southern Martial Arts Conference is coming up, and he'll take you and Tingxiao with him."
Getting up from the tea table, he patted Chen Feng's shoulder. Their eyes met as he spoke seriously, "Prepare well."
After speaking, he gave a few more instructions.
Li Chenye told Xu Tingxiao to prepare to leave, and the latter quickly grabbed his bag and followed him.
"Junior Uncle, do you think I'll have a chance to surpass Senior Brother after this training?"
"…"
"Junior Uncle?"
"...Just do your best."
The conversation faded as Chen Feng withdrew his gaze and perception.
Southern Martial Arts Conference
"Brother Cao, do you know much about it?" He tilted his head to ask.
"I haven't been, but I've heard Senior Brother Xu talk about it once."
Cao Tong replied truthfully: "The last tournament was held in Yue City, Ze Province, and I had just started practicing my bones at the time."
"According to Senior Brother Xu, there were many sects participating, over a hundred, and the Giant Elephant Sect that visited us yesterday was one of them. They were the hosts of the last tournament and took fifth place."
"We were a bit behind, only placing sixteenth."
Chen Feng quietly listened as Cao Tong grinned, continuing, "Though Bone Training and Organ Training disciples can participate, the Sect Master always only takes the direct disciples, so none of us core disciples have gone."
"But it doesn't matter. It seems like the true focus is on the Inner Strength and True Intent stages. The duels between disciples below that level don't seem to affect the rankings much."
After hearing all this and recalling what he had learned from Heart Ape Sect's Liu Fangming, Chen Feng gained a clearer understanding.
After some more conversation, the afternoon passed quietly.
At four o'clock, his phone buzzed.
Opening it, Lin Hao had sent a location in the suburbs.
Chen Feng's gaze shifted, and he no longer focused on the Martial Arts Conference.
After tidying up briefly in the quiet room, he deliberately changed into loose clothing.
Taking a step, he immediately left the martial arts hall and called a ride to head toward the suburbs.
(End of the Chapter)
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