Translator: Cinder Translations
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As the indifferent voice fell—
A pillar of white energy struck the burly figure. It should have been unstoppable, capable of twisting and shattering even steel.
Yet at this moment, it felt as soft and powerless as flowing water.
Bronze-colored muscles stacked upon one another, each contour seemingly sculpted from stone.
Step!
Against the powerful energy pillar, Chen Feng strode forward, his cold gaze locked onto the true disciple of the Pine Crane Sect.
Step!
A second step. The opponent's pupils shrank, a mix of shock and fury in his eyes.
Impossible!
Had this guy really trained his body to such an extreme level?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but the sound of approaching footsteps only grew faster.
The next moment—
The opponent's energy ran dry, unable to be sustained any longer.
His vision went dark as the bronze-colored figure completely blocked out the light, casting everything into shadow.
Boom!!
A fist, fierce and heavy like a sandbag, smashed into his temple.
His body spun chaotically through the air, colliding with multiple treadmills and exercise machines before finally skidding to a stop on the ground.
Silence!
Absolute silence!
Cao Tong and the others felt their understanding of reality shatter once again, leaving them utterly dumbfounded.
The injured students and instructors all felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
But—
It wasn't enough!
Chen Feng took a step toward the white-haired elder of the Pine Crane Sect, feeling as if this wasn't nearly enough.
But then, as if realizing something—
He suddenly stopped, shifting his gaze to another target.
"With your master's pathetic skills? He's nothing but trash."
"Do you think someone like that is even worth dirtying my hands?"
Overlooking the trembling Jiang Yuan, Chen Feng asked coldly.
This man had spoken lies without hesitation, spouting baseless accusations.
He wanted to know—why?
Gulp!
Jiang Yuan swallowed hard, recalling that suffocating fear from that day.
His face turned deathly pale, regret and guilt flashing in his eyes.
Instinctively stepping back, his body trembled—and he stumbled to the ground.
The pathetic sight made the white-haired elder, Yang Chengyuan, curse him as useless under his breath.
Then—
Boom! Energy erupted!
White Crane Spreads Its Wings!
Screech!!
A sharp cry rang out as Yang Chengyuan's speed skyrocketed. Breaking free from the Third Elder's entanglement, he became a flickering afterimage—
Charging straight toward Chen Feng!
His decision was made—he would cripple this brat no matter the truth.
With this level of talent, at this young age—
After today's conflict, Chen Feng would inevitably become a deadly enemy of the Pine Crane Sect!
"DIE!!"
Murderous intent filled the air. Yang Chengyuan was already in front of Jiang Yuan, his hand forming a deadly strike like a golden beak, aiming straight for Chen Feng's waist.
Behind him, the Third Elder remained expressionless. Chen Feng, too, simply narrowed his eyes and released his clenched fist.
Tap!
Suddenly, a gust of wind arose.
A white-robed figure extended a hand, catching the golden beak strike effortlessly.
"Old Yang, old Yang, your temper is a bit too fiery, isn't it?"
"This is my disciple. What are you trying to pull here?"
Dressed in white robes with crimson patterns, a man with a gentle smile had appeared—Li Tong. His voice was calm and relaxed.
Yang Chengyuan's expression changed. There was no time to question how Li Tong had arrived so precisely. Nor did he bother with the seemingly polite tone.
Swoosh!
Bursting with energy, he forcibly pulled himself free, seizing Jiang Yuan under his arm and retreating several meters.
Boom!!
The wooden floor shattered, debris flying everywhere.
A massive crimson tiger's shadow loomed over where he had stood moments before, its eyes locked onto its prey, ready to devour.
Li Tong's smile remained, but his eyes gleamed with the same icy light as the tiger's vertical pupils—cold and dangerous.
"Old Yang, why so quiet?"
"It's been a long time since we last met. Why don't we catch up?"
Li Tong took a step forward.
Meanwhile, the Third Elder and his men subdued the three unconscious Pine Crane Sect disciples.
Yang Chengyuan watched, his face darkened. He knew he had lost.
"Li Tong, your disciple killed a Pine Crane Sect elder. Are you really set on making war against us?"
He made one last attempt, speaking in a cold voice, clinging to a sliver of hope.
Li Tong merely glanced at the unconscious Jiang Yuan in his grasp and smiled.
"Without evidence, you can spin the truth however you like."
"But honestly, your thinking is too small. Why not go all the way and say my disciple killed your sect leader instead?"
"Didn't he just happen to retreat into seclusion due to his injuries? How about this—I'll spread the word for you. We'll say my eldest disciple was the one who did it. How about that?"
Though his tone sounded as if he was negotiating, Yang Chengyuan's face turned even darker.
A mere junior injuring their sect leader?
If that rumor spread, even if the martial world knew it was false, the Pine Crane Sect would still become a laughingstock.
However, this remark made him realize something.
He glanced at the trembling, terrified Jiang Yuan.
It was clear—some things needed to be properly investigated once they returned to their sect.
"I'll admit defeat today."
"Take good care of my three true disciples!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he smashed through the window and fled the martial hall.
The three unconscious true disciples of the Pine Crane Sect were left behind.
Chen Feng watched the direction of Yang Chengyuan's escape, his eyes flashing with cold intent that did not fade for a long time.
"You can't stop him."
Seeing through his thoughts, Li Tong patted his shoulder and sighed. "The Pine Crane Sect is exceptional in movement techniques. If he's determined to leave, it's nearly impossible to keep him here."
"But don't worry—I'll make sure you get the answer you deserve."
His voice was calm and reassuring. Li Tong pointed at the three unconscious Pine Crane Sect disciples but never once mentioned Qian Changsong's death or asked about it.
This unconditional trust made Chen Feng pause in silence for a moment before finally giving a slight nod.
"Enough of this topic. Come, I have something to tell you."
With his hands behind his back, Li Tong calmly walked up to the second floor, gesturing for him to follow.
Chen Feng turned and stepped forward, eventually entering the quiet room together.
Clack!
The door closed.
Whoosh!!
The next second, Li Tong's calm expression completely changed.
He suddenly leaped forward, grabbing Chen Feng's shoulders tightly.
"Steel Fire?!"
"When did you break through to Steel Fire?!"
His eyes were filled with uncontrollable excitement, his usual composed demeanor completely gone.
He had never expected his eldest disciple's progress to be this rapid.
"Two days ago."
Chen Feng answered honestly, adding another remark:
"I think I've touched the threshold of the third stage."
"But I lack the true technique's key formula."
!!!
Li Tong's eyes gleamed sharply, then suddenly erupted into laughter.
"Good!"
"Good! Good! Good!!"
His joyous laughter startled the students outside.
Cao Tong was momentarily stunned, quickly turning to look at the Third Elder.
Only to see the elder smiling slightly, humming a little tune as he carried the three unconscious Pine Crane disciples to the medicine room.
"As expected of my disciple—truly the makings of a grandmaster!"
Inside the quiet room, Li Tong remained ecstatic for quite some time before finally getting back to business. He nodded repeatedly.
"I'll pass on the key formulas of Burning Mountain and Crimson Tiger to you later."
"But before that, take this."
He reached into the inner pocket of his white robe and pulled something out, handing it to Chen Feng.
Looking down, it was wrapped in white cloth.
Unwrapping it revealed a gray-blue martial arts manual.
[Ten Thousand Tempered Steel]
"This is a true martial art from the Myriad Tempering Sect. Their sect leader owed me a favor from years ago."
"I went to Luohe these past two days to have a little chat with him, and in the end, I managed to get a copied version of this true technique. Read it carefully, then burn it afterward."
Li Tong spoke with a lighthearted tone, his expression full of satisfaction and expectation.
Only now did Chen Feng realize why his master had been absent from Nanjiang these past two days.
And he knew—this wasn't as simple as it sounded.
This was a true martial art technique. Even if the sect leader owed Li Tong a favor, there was no way he would have simply handed it over without a price.
"Thank you, Master."
His gratitude was sincere. Chen Feng committed this favor to memory once again.
"Bah, what's there to thank me for?"
"It's only natural for a master to teach his disciple!"
"It is only natural for a master to teach his disciple."
Li Tong spoke with a cheerful smile, his face showing complete willingness.
The old master and his young disciple sat in the quiet room, flipping through the copied martial arts manual.
The contents unfolded before their eyes:
[Ten Thousand Tempered Steel: Three Stages of Mastery]
[Hundred Temperings, Thousand Temperings, Ten Thousand Temperings!]
[By tempering the body with internal force, one can continuously refine and harden their physique, making it stronger and more resilient. At the same time, it enhances and purifies the internal force itself—enduring countless trials to forge a truly indestructible strength.]
After reading through it once, Chen Feng quickly grasped the unique aspects of this martial art.
It could be cultivated alongside other true martial arts, pushing internal force beyond its original limits while refining and compressing it for greater potency.
Additionally, like external hardening techniques, it reinforced the body, allowing it to break past its previous physical limitations.
Simply put, the value of this martial art was extraordinary—perhaps even superior to Bronze Statue Technique by several degrees.
"Good thing the Myriad Tempering Sect has declined in recent years, nowhere near what it once was."
"Otherwise, that old bastard wouldn't have handed this over so easily."
Li Tong sighed, offering a brief explanation. From this, Chen Feng learned that the Myriad Tempering Sect now had only one True Intent-level master, barely managing to dominate Luohe City.
The only reason they agreed to let Chen Feng cultivate this technique was because Li Tong made a promise—
If the Myriad Tempering Sect ever faced a crisis, he would personally step in to help.
And if he was no longer around, that responsibility would fall on Chen Feng.
To this, Chen Feng had no objections.
It was merely a debt to be repaid in the future. Once he became strong enough, he would have plenty of ways to return the favor.
However, something else caught his attention.
"With such a powerful martial art, how did the Myriad Tempering Sect decline?"
Curious, he asked. Li Tong shot him an exasperated look.
"You think everyone's like you, learning things at a glance?"
"The more profound the martial art, the harder it is to cultivate. The last few generations of the Myriad Tempering Sect have been utterly useless—none of them have mastered it."
His tone carried a trace of regret. Chen Feng fell into deep thought.
Seeing his expression, Li Tong hesitated for a moment.
In the end, he sighed and decided to reveal something.
"Actually, it's not just the Myriad Tempering Sect—my Flame Tiger Sect has also declined significantly compared to the past."
His gaze turned distant as he walked toward the window, looking out at the clear sky as if he were seeing something far beyond.
Chen Feng was slightly taken aback but quickly focused and moved to the side, listening attentively.
"Over thirty years ago, our sect's stronghold wasn't in Nanjiang—it was in Yun Port."
"Back then, in the entire southern martial world, Flame Tiger Sect was one of the top sects, with a Grandmaster overseeing it."
Li Tong paused briefly before continuing.
"But unfortunately, good times never last."
"Our longstanding rival, Flying Dragon Sect, was always at odds with us."
"Then, an unfortunate event occurred—our Grandmaster's lifespan came to an end, and he passed away in meditation. Some of our core teachings were lost, and none of the next generation were able to break through the barriers to reach that level."
"Over time, we were eventually forced out of Yun Port by the Flying Dragon Sect and had no choice but to migrate north to Nanjiang."
Shame, regret, resentment—
For the first time, Chen Feng saw such a mix of emotions in his master.
And now, he finally understood why Pine Crane Sect had come looking for trouble a few days ago.
Nine times out of ten, it was because of Flying Dragon Sect.
Suppressing stray thoughts, he looked at Li Tong, who confirmed his guess with a slight nod.
"The people from Giant Elephant Sect were right—the Great Elder of Pine Crane Sect has indeed benefited greatly from the Flying Dragon Sect in the past."
"Moreover, the Flying Dragon Sect has kept a low profile in recent years, not participating in any martial arts tournaments. But this year, they're suddenly intervening in the tournament's affairs—perhaps they have ambitions."
Chen Feng nodded, piecing together the chain of events.
Everything traced back to thirty years ago.
The clash of the dragon and tiger—this was the essence of it all.
After exchanging a few more words, Li Tong's gaze turned distant before finally resting on Chen Feng.
"Thirty years ago, I was just an official disciple, unable to interfere."
"Many of my seniors suffered injuries, passing away with regret. Before they died, they entrusted us with one mission—to restore the sect and reclaim Yun Port."
"But unfortunately, in these past thirty years, your Third Martial Uncle and I have only barely managed to preserve what remains of our foundation…"
His tone carried a deep sigh. Chen Feng remained silent.
"But fortunately…"
Suddenly, Li Tong smiled, his eyes full of satisfaction and anticipation.
"At last, I see hope again."
That day, aside from the Ten Thousand Tempered Steel manual,
Li Tong also passed down the final two layers of Crimson Tiger Force.
After a series of instructions, he had Li Shi arrange two cars to take him back to the sect.
At the same time, he took the three captured Pine Crane Sect true disciples, intending to use them as bargaining chips for negotiations.
"What if Pine Crane Sect seeks revenge?"
Standing downstairs, Chen Feng asked. He was concerned that their other disciples, such as Wu Shuang, might be targeted by True Intent-level experts from Pine Crane Sect.
"Unless Pine Crane Sect wants to completely disgrace themselves and become a joke in the martial world..."
Li Tong chuckled and gave a brief explanation, indicating there was no need to worry.
This was the rule of the martial world—if you stirred up trouble and lost, you had to negotiate and make a trade.
Otherwise, every sect's headquarters was out in the open.
If True Intent-level masters disregarded the rules and started killing freely, no one would ever have peace again.
Understanding the logic, Chen Feng didn't ask further.
Two black cars pulled up. Cao Tong, assigned to escort the captives back, had already taken a seat in the rear vehicle.
Li Tong was about to leave when he suddenly paused, patted Chen Feng's shoulder, and said—
"The martial arts tournament is in seven days. I'll come pick you up then."
"For now, no matter what happens, don't worry about anything. Just focus on yourself."
Their eyes met.
Recalling their conversation upstairs, Chen Feng was silent for a moment before giving a firm nod.
"Alright, I'm off then."
Li Tong smiled, turned, and got into the car, heading back to the sect.
Watching his master's figure disappear, Chen Feng wasted no time.
Returning to the second floor, he checked his messages from Lin Hao.
[Lin Hao: They've left. Just boarded the high-speed train.]
[Image]
Opening it, he saw the backs of Yang Chengyuan and Jiang Yuan.
A pity.
Chen Feng had originally planned to track them under a different identity, find out the truth, and make that old bastard kneel and apologize.
But clearly, the man was prepared—he left the martial hall and immediately took the high-speed train.
Shaking his head, Chen Feng decided he would wait for the next opportunity.
Suppressing distractions, he assumed a stance, recalling the Burning Mountain Formula and visualizing the Crimson Tiger.
The bottleneck was just within reach.
He focused, sensing the subtle changes in his internal force.
One second… Two seconds… Three seconds…
Minutes passed.
Buzz!
As if breaking through an invisible wall, his internal force surged. His mind seemed to merge with it completely.
[Crimson Tiger Force: Burning Mountain (1%) +]
Crackling!
His body trembled with newfound vigor.
In an instant, the system panel updated—
[Strength: 20.7 → 21.9]
[Agility: 19.0 → 20.0]
[Endurance: 26.2 → 28.0]
[Willpower: 21.5 → 23.5]
(End of the Chapter)
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