Translator: CinderTL
"I despise the look in your eyes."
The Grand Guardian's face was riddled with scars, making him appear particularly ferocious.
The sound of mockery echoed in his ears as two fingers, emanating a dark glow, shot straight toward Chen Feng's eyes.
"Damn it!"
Zhou Wuren roared, his face filled with urgency. He hadn't expected that Grandmaster Chen, who had just been in a dominant position, would be controlled in an instant.
However, no matter how quickly he and Zhao Meng reacted, they couldn't match the speed of that single finger.
In that moment, everyone's expressions changed, and even the sound of the falling rain was forgotten.
Until finally, the dark-glowing fingers were about to pierce into his eyeballs.
Crack! An unusual sound rang out, and the Grand Guardian's expression shifted slightly as he hastily withdrew his hand and retreated.
Zhou Wuren and the others were also stunned, seeing the black-clad youth standing in place, as if he had moved for a split second.
"An illusion?"
The Grand Guardian narrowed his eyes slightly, his body enveloped in a dense black light, his guard raised to the utmost.
A wave of shock and doubt surged within him.
That was a technique that utilized divine power, capable of binding others with shadows.
The greater the power, the tighter the binding. How could it be so easily... Crack! Crack! Crack! Suddenly, the strange sounds rang out again. The black-clad youth's movements were slow, but they were clearly reflected in his pupils.
The Grand Guardian's gaze was filled with suspicion as he looked again.
He could see that the shadowy hand on the ground was shattering inch by inch, as if torn apart by some immense force.
"You still have strength left?!"
He could no longer remain calm, even suspecting that the other party might have already broken through to Pinnacle Realm and was deliberately toying with him.
But soon, calming down, he felt it was impossible.
The unity of essence, energy, and spirit was an incredibly difficult feat. Even if the other party... Boom!!! A deep pit appeared, and the shadows dissipated.
A violent force erupted, causing the maple forest to rustle and the ground to shake.
The next second.
The black-clad youth was already in front of him, his fist imprint shattering everything.
Thud!!
In his daze, the Grand Guardian couldn't react in time and was struck squarely on the head.
His flesh rippled, and pain surged through him.
His legs left the ground as he was about to be sent flying, but a thick hand reached out first, grabbing his arm.
"Get off!!"
Roaring, he tried to break free, his body flashing with black light as dark scales began to cover him, spreading rapidly.
His aura surged, and Zhao Meng, watching from afar, couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt.
Had the other party gained some traits of Biological Modification?
Thud!!
The next second, a headbutt landed, and a faint golden light disappeared from Chen Feng's forehead.
The black light solidified into scales, which exploded into fragments, and the sound of cracking bones could be heard from the Grand Guardian's head.
Pain tore through him, and he felt dazed.
He still wanted to struggle, but soon felt a brute force pulling him, binding him.
Then.
Boom!!
A fist struck his lower abdomen, and the world fell silent.
In the moment their eyes met, only coldness radiated. One hand pulled, and another fist struck.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Continuous punches, the Mighty Arms unleashing their full power.
Until finally, drops of blood dripped from the gaps between his fists, the black light was dispersed, flesh was pierced, and air rushed inward.
The Grand Guardian, who had been struggling wildly, froze, his eyes bloodshot as he looked down at his chest.
Thud! Thud!
His heart was still beating; he wasn't dead yet.
But.
"I despise your aura."
Chen Feng spoke coldly, his hand clenching fiercely.
Boom!!
His heart exploded, blood gushing out.
Before it could splatter onto him, a crimson light erupted, evaporating everything.
Zhou Wuren and the others, who had rushed over, widened their eyes in shock. Even Old Master Wang and the white-haired elder in the distance had their expressions change.
"Gasp..."
The Grand Guardian's mouth was frothing with blood, his bloodshot eyes fixed intently on Chen Feng.
He was unwilling to die like this, having been just half a step away from the Pinnacle Realm.
Why... BANG!!
Chen Feng grabbed his head and slammed it into the ground, frowning as he stomped down.
BANG!!! The head exploded like a watermelon, and the tenacious life force akin to the Serpent Spirit vanished completely.
Zhou Wuren and the others nearby wanted to speak several times, but in the end, they saw Chen Feng raise his head again.
His gaze met the circling Black Crow, and it was as if he could see through layers of space, all the way to the Suro Nation thousands of miles away.
"Damn it! Damn it!!"
"How could the Grand Guardian die!!"
The woman in the black dress turned pale, her body trembling, completely unable to believe what she had just witnessed.
That was the Grand Guardian, who had already touched the threshold of the Pinnacle Realm, a martial arts pinnacle who had fused the Serpent Spirit Power and the Power of the Dead.
For a moment, as she looked at the maple forest reflected in the crow's eyes and the black-clad youth staring back, she felt her body turn cold, overwhelmed with regret and fear.
It was as if he could see her terror.
In the reflection of his pupils, the black-clad youth raised his hand and made a throat-slitting gesture, his gaze indifferent.
"You're provoking me!! You're provoking me!!"
"If you have the guts, come and kill me!!"
She screamed hysterically, her hair disheveled, and suddenly smashed the porcelain vase on the table in front of her.
Amidst the gasps of fear, countless members of the Divine Martial Alliance were drawn by the commotion.
Chen Feng was unaware of this, only a streak of white ash mixed with golden light passed through the sky, swiftly disappearing and crushing the Black Crow.
Finally, he looked at the headless corpse before him.
The soil churned, and the wild grass was shattered.
Amidst the scattered blood and flesh, streams of black light invisible to ordinary people flowed into his palm, making the two black marks grow even darker.
[Power of the Dead: 300/100]
[Serpent Spirit Power: 260/100]
The panel's prompt flashed quietly, and the progress of the Azure Armor and the Heart of Glory also increased.
[Azure Armor LV5: 52/100]
[Heart of Glory LV3: 75/100]
"Indeed, those who surpass the Grandmaster level are the best nourishment."
He retracted his gaze, and footsteps began to sound behind him.
Zhou Wuren, Zhao Meng, the Giant Elephant Grandmaster, and others all wore varying expressions, their faces still marked by shock.
In the distance, Old Master Wang and the white-haired elder both had shifting expressions, while members of the Lion Heart Sect and others who had come to pay their respects today were all rooted to the spot, unable to process what had just happened.
"Grandmaster Chen..."
At this moment, countless people murmured these two words in their hearts.
Finally, the black-clad youth calmly took a step forward and returned to the crowd.
"Let's continue."
He said to Tan Long.
The latter was momentarily stunned before barely regaining his composure and nodding repeatedly.
"To the mountain!"
"To the mountain!!"
Amidst the shouts, the crowd surged forward again, with some disciples being instructed to deal with the corpse.
The dark clouds in the sky had dispersed at some point, and the drizzling rain had also vanished.
The clear sky was a vast expanse of blue, with the red sun hanging high, as if a rainbow had appeared at the peak of Xiang Mountain.
All those blocking the path instinctively stepped aside, their eyes lingering on the black-clad youth, filled with awe and fear. No one dared to interrupt.
"Let's go."
Old Master Wang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stood by the stone steps, watching the procession depart.
The white-haired elder beside him still seemed unwilling, but the other only said one thing.
"Aside from the two leaders, who do you think can deal with him?"
After speaking, the white-haired old man known as Grandmaster Xu trembled. His withered figure seemed inexplicably desolate. He took a deep breath and finally looked at the others who had been summoned to block the path.
With a silent sigh, he turned and left.
Zhou Wuren, seeing this, breathed a sigh of relief. He had truly been worried that Grandmaster Xu might play with fire again, provoking Grandmaster Chen to take drastic action.
If that had happened, even if Zhou Wuren had wanted to repay a favor, he would have been powerless to stop it.
Similarly, Ju Xiang, the Whale Sect Grandmaster, and others nearby also wore complex expressions, eventually turning their gazes toward the black-clad figure in the distance.
"It seems the Martial Arts World of the South is truly about to change."
"Perhaps."
After exchanging glances, both sighed inwardly, letting go of all their petty thoughts in that moment.
Taking in everything he sensed, Chen Feng remained expressionless, silently watching the latter part of the funeral.
The black wooden coffin was buried at the mountain peak, with yellow and white wreaths placed on either side.
Someone stepped forward to pay their respects, while others wept in grief once more.
The earlier incident gradually faded into the background as he watched Zhao Meng finish offering a white flower and walk over.
"Grandmaster Chen, aren't you going to pay your respects?"
"No need."
Chen Feng shook his head. His relationship with Xie Xiao had never been deep.
The reason he had come was out of respect for their shared experience of hardship during an expedition and the fact that they were both Grandmasters.
As for his actions against the others, much of it had been for his own reasons.
He simply couldn't stand it.
That was all.
"However, it's slightly better than I expected."
Chen Feng looked up at the clear sky. The funeral was nearly over, but no one from Skyway Shipping had appeared.
If not for his trust in the intelligence capabilities of the Black Crystal Group, he might have suspected they had been misled.
"Perhaps someone has already acted on our behalf."
Zhao Meng spoke calmly, her tone reminiscent of Meng Anran.
Chen Feng raised an eyebrow, quickly thinking of someone.
---
"Don't worry, Miss."
"This is just an ordinary place. There aren't even a few fourth-tier Cyborgs here."
At the base of Xiang Mountain, a figure in a black jacket walked alone, intending to follow the maple forest road to the mountain peak.
He was lean, with a crew cut, triangular eyes, and the appearance of a middle-aged man.
The dark clouds in the sky quietly dispersed, revealing the calm female voice coming through his earpiece.
"Alright, then finish it quickly."
"Don't hold back against the Black Crystal Group. As for those two Martial Arts Grandmasters."
"If they cooperate, just cripple them. If they insist on making trouble, bring them back as test subjects."
"Understood, Miss."
The middle-aged man with triangular eyes nodded lightly, then ended the call. His gaze toward the mountainside gradually turned cruel.
"How should I cripple them?"
The scanning module in his eyes displayed several photos: a young man in black, a cold-faced middle-aged man.
"Break their legs? Remove their arms?"
"Forget it, just turn them into human sticks."
Thoughts flashed through his mind as yellowed leaves drifted along the maple forest road.
The earlier rain had left the area deserted, but now.
Tap! An unusually abrupt footstep sounded.
The middle-aged man with triangular eyes stopped in his tracks, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Focusing his gaze, he saw a person standing in the middle of the road ahead, wearing a deep brown trench coat.
He was about 1.82 meters tall, with his hands tucked into his coat pockets.
His messy black hair covered most of his forehead.
He had a high nose bridge and a strong, angular jawline, but it was clear he hadn't taken care of himself in a while. Stubble covered his upper lip, lower lip, and cheeks, giving him a somewhat melancholic appearance.
"Who are you?" the middle-aged man with triangular eyes squinted and asked, tilting his head slightly.
The scanning module showed that the other party was just an ordinary person, but he felt something was off.
"Click."
There was no answer, only the sound of a lighter.
The man in the brown trench coat had a cigarette in his mouth, and the flame from the metal lighter appeared and disappeared.
A spark ignited, and a faint wisp of smoke curled upward.
"Skyway Shipping?" he put down the lighter, tucked it into his pocket, and took a drag from the cigarette before asking.
"What about it?"
"Today is a special day. I don't want to resort to violence."
The man in the brown trench coat exhaled smoke, tucked his right hand into his pocket, and held the cigarette between two fingers of his left hand as he spoke: "Self-destruct."
"I'll give you a chance to return to the Deep Sea."
The atmosphere grew still, and a civilian aircraft streaked across the azure sky.
The maple leaves on both sides rustled, and the man with triangular eyes suddenly laughed.
"What the hell are you?"
He hadn't expected that in a small place like Xiangshan City, someone would dare to speak to him like this.
Buzz!!! Instantly, the energy module activated, and a cruel smile appeared on his face.
Crack, crack—the sound of shattering echoed continuously. The ground beneath their feet sank several inches, and spiderweb-like cracks rapidly spread until they reached the feet of the man in the brown trench coat.
Beneath his messy black hair, a pair of deep eyes appeared.
He took another drag from the cigarette, and the smoke drifted in front of him.
Whoosh!!! A whistling sound suddenly erupted as the man with triangular eyes stomped the ground, leaving a deep crater in his wake.
In the next second, he crossed a distance of over ten meters, arriving right in front of the man.
Thud!!! The ground sank again, clearly creating a fault line between the upper and lower sections of the mountain.
Dirt flew out from the cracks, and the man with triangular eyes wore a cruel expression, but he was extremely cautious inside.
He didn't believe an ordinary person would dare to block his path.
So, the moment he acted, he would go all out!
Boom!!! In the blink of an eye, flames erupted from behind him. The energy module operated at full power, and even flames burst out from behind his elbows.
A fifth-level force field perfectly controlled the area in front of him. The fluttering brown trench coat seemed to freeze in place, and even the smoke exhaled into the air remained suspended.
It was as if time had stopped, yet the other party still maintained his casual posture, holding the cigarette.
The man with triangular eyes sneered at the fool and finally launched a rocket-powered punch.
Boom!!! However, the figure was sent flying, and mechanical parts scattered everywhere.
His wide, frozen eyes stared as the scanning module issued a high-energy warning, approaching the internationally classified sixth-tier level.
The man with triangular eyes was horrified. Mid-air, he tried to activate the backup energy to escape.
But it was just one punch.
A blue screen appeared before his eyes, filled with warnings. His body was pierced, his energy was destroyed, and his force field was shattered.
Even worse, some kind of power invaded his body, leaving him no time to think.
Boom!!!
An explosion rang out, and the so-called fifth-tier Radiant Alloy Titanium Cyborg was blown to pieces, reduced to debris.
The replicated consciousness was about to turn into code and electromagnetic signals, returning to the Deep Sea.
But unexpectedly.
An invisible force suppressed it, and the sound of footsteps echoed.
Black leather shoes stepped on the debris, walking over to the remaining mechanical eyeball.
He exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone indifferent, and crushed it underfoot.
"A good opportunity."
"Why didn't you take it?"
Bang!!!
In an instant, the replicated consciousness froze and was completely annihilated the next second.
At the same time, inside the Skyway Shipping building in Yun Port.
Warning signals blared incessantly. Within the virtual blue light screen depicting the Deep Sea, a special energy magnetic field fluctuated violently, causing everyone to exclaim in shock and panic.
Finally, a woman in a red trench coat connected to the communication channel, asking with confusion.
Soon, one by one, the experimenters turned pale and reluctantly reported the results.
"What on earth is going on? Speak up!" Zhong Yan barked.
"Miss..."
"Mr. Zhao... Mr. Zhao is in trouble."
"What?!"
(End of the Chapter)
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