Translator: CinderTL
That day.
The Safety Bureau's patrol vehicles arrived swiftly, and yellow caution tape was quickly stretched out on both sides.
One after another, security officers appeared at the scene, with armed special forces members standing guard, isolating the numerous onlookers.
"Councilor Chen, are you alright?"
The captain of the security squadron was an acquaintance.
A middle-aged man, it was none other than the recently promoted Xiang Jianjun.
Chen Feng nodded in acknowledgment, as Cao Tong and others from the Martial Hall had already arrived behind him, assisting with the relevant matters.
"Director Zhang is very concerned about your situation, but he is tied up with the affairs of the Evil God Cult in Luohe and can't get away."
Xiang Jianjun quickly explained, looking at the young man before him, his heart filled with admiration.
Once a supermarket cashier.
Now a city council member.
At some point, the other had risen rapidly to become a true influential figure in Nanjiang.
And he himself had also benefited from their past goodwill, quietly receiving a promotion.
"It's fine."
Chen Feng shook his head, having already received phone inquiries from Chu Shihong and Zhang Songtai.
While they were concerned for his safety, they were even more puzzled by the sudden appearance of a fifth-tier powerhouse.
"Have you identified him yet?"
Chen Feng asked, looking down at the corpse being taken away by the forensic team not far away.
The old man in the black windbreaker had changed his appearance, finally becoming an even more unfamiliar ordinary old man.
There were no traces of martial arts training, his body withered, and his face full of wrinkles.
The difference from his previous appearance was stark.
"We're still accessing the database. The deceased probably isn't from Nanjiang."
Xiang Jianjun offered his speculation, as their authority was limited to the local area of Nanjiang. Beyond that, they would need to report to a higher level of the Safety Bureau to coordinate access to a larger database.
"Hmm."
Chen Feng had expected as much and wasn't particularly disappointed.
The other party had dared to come looking for him, so they must have had something to hide.
Moreover, his intuition told him that the Divine Martial Alliance Leader was not dead.
With strength close to the fifth tier, this deceased person might just be a decoy.
"Councilor Chen, there are too many eyes here."
"What do you think..." Xiang Jianjun accompanied him throughout, and the deputy director of the Safety Bureau also arrived, offering a friendly smile.
Hearing this, Chen Feng looked around at the many onlookers.
Some were discussing, others were taking out their phones to record and upload to the internet.
Knowing that this incident could have some negative social impact, he decided to leave the scene.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Not at all, it's our duty!"
The deputy director of the Safety Bureau, a thin middle-aged man, repeatedly expressed his goodwill.
Chen Feng nodded, then boarded the black car and left the scene.
With people coming and going outside, to avoid further impact, he planned to return to the sect's mountain gate and take the opportunity to see his master and others whom he hadn't seen in days.
Besides.
Looking at all the noise and skepticism blocked by the black car window.
For the first time, he truly experienced the special status of a council member.
"Power, huh..."
A hint of emotion, but it was quickly suppressed.
In the end, it was all because of his own strength; everything else was just an additional layer built upon it.
With his mind made up, he opened WeChat.
Star Palace—this was the force behind the Divine Martial Alliance Leader.
Only recruiting Pinnacle Realm Masters of martial arts, encompassing all countries on Earth.
The other party might just be one of the leaders, and the organization's immense power could be anticipated.
Therefore, he wanted to learn as much as possible about the relevant situation.
Buzz buzz!
Soon, several messages replied in succession.
[Zhou Wuren: I haven't heard of it. I can help you ask Old Leader Zhang.]
[Lin Hao: I'll look into it.]
Chen Feng looked at the messages on WeChat. He didn't have Yang Wudi's contact information, otherwise, he could have asked him directly.
He was about to put away his phone when Lin Hao sent another message.
[Lin Hao: I've asked around about the new city construction in Nanjiang and got some key information.]
Oh? Chen Feng's curiosity was piqued.
Recently, he had heard a lot of speculation, with many local councilors actively networking.
Unfortunately, most of it was hearsay and hard to believe.
Buzz!
His phone vibrated again. Lin Hao didn't hold back.
[Lin Hao: Rumor has it, it might be related to Radiant Light City.]
Upon reading this, Chen Feng's gaze sharpened.
Radiant Light City? Radiant Light City was thousands of miles away. How could it be related to the new city construction in Nanjiang?
Wait, he suddenly thought of a key point.
It seemed that the Radiant Light Secret Realm had entered the territory of the Red Nation nearly forty years ago.
In other words.
"Is the Radiant Light Secret Realm moving into Nanjiang?"
[Lin Hao: It's uncertain. The person I asked didn't get a clear answer, but I feel this is the most likely possibility.]
[The Radiant Light Secret Realm moves every forty years, and by calculation, it's about that time now.]
Lin Hao shared his thoughts and speculations, backed by various pieces of evidence.
After reading the messages, Chen Feng sat in the back seat of the black car, feeling somewhat unsettled.
That was the first ancient civilization secret realm discovered in human history on Earth. He never imagined it would one day be so close to him.
Moreover, according to Lin Hao.
The Radiant Light Secret Realm had been discovered for one hundred and twenty years, with a high level of development. It was fully equipped with various facilities, and the dangers had long been minimized. It was home to many social elites and certain high-ranking figures.
To some extent, it could be considered a new secret realm city.
"But I wonder, when the time comes."
"What position will the Nanjiang City Federation hold?"
With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Chen Feng eventually suppressed his extra musings.
The movement of the secret realm wasn't an overnight matter, and the construction of the high walls had just begun.
He just needed to focus on the present.
Buzz! The black car drove on, gradually arriving at the low hills in the suburbs of Nanjiang.
The familiar gates of the Flame Tiger Sect came into view. As he got out of the car, voices filled with surprise and awe rang out.
"Senior Brother!!"
"Senior Brother is back!!"
Amid the cheers, Chen Feng went to see his master and Third Martial Uncle.
Both were surprised by his return, but upon hearing the details, they frowned.
"Star Palace…"
Li Tong, dressed in a white robe with red patterns, pondered for a moment but hadn't heard of it.
Third Martial Uncle Yan Chong was similarly unaware.
Not surprised, Chen Feng then returned to his private courtyard.
The fence and wooden walls, with trees surrounding the pond.
A few goldfish swam within, and the ancient-style red courtyard had its doors closed.
---
"So someone really came to kill him."
At the top of the Jadeite Biotech branch building in Nanjiang.
A young man in a black-purple suit sat in the office, with several security guards and secretaries standing in front of the mahogany desk.
"Tsk tsk, another Pinnacle Realm Master. Interesting."
"Chen Wu, pull up the surveillance footage."
"Yes."
In response, a thirty-year-old man of average build nodded and brought up a virtual screen.
Soon, he encountered an obstacle while trying to access it. "Boss, the federation has restricted access."
"Use my authority."
"Yes!"
As the words fell, the councilor's account from the Municipal Association logged in and accessed the corresponding backend.
Shortly after, a brief image appeared.
The young man in black was unstoppable, launching a series of aggressive punches, ultimately killing the old man in the black windbreaker.
The street lamp pole, the ground, the walls of the shopping mall—many places bore signs of destruction. Everyone frowned slightly, wanting to examine other angles, but the surveillance equipment there had been destroyed by the residual shockwaves halfway through, already rendered useless.
"Can you tell if he's truly at the Pinnacle Realm?" asked the young man in the black-purple suit.
The Cyborgs frowned in thought, and someone spoke after a moment of contemplation.
"The strongest a Grandmaster can reach is only the fourth tier. This is an ironclad rule in the Martial Arts World."
"But I've heard that some people have exceptionally high potential. Even if they're not at the Pinnacle Realm, they can surpass Grandmasters, continuously tapping into their human potential until they reach their limit."
"So?"
"He might not yet be fully at the Pinnacle Realm," the previous speaker offered a speculation.
"Oh?"
"His strength seems to have grown somewhat compared to when he killed Onit."
"Though not by much, this is enough to show that he hadn't reached his limit before."
Xu Heng, in the black-purple suit, frowned upon hearing this.
Didn't this mean that this person could potentially become even stronger? "What about the others around my cousin?"
"From what we can see, they're not a threat."
"Although he contacted a few of the old-timers from Director Lin's time, not everyone is willing to take the risk. Only this Grandmaster Chen is somewhat hard to read."
As the words fell, Xu Heng's frown deepened.
He hated uncertainty, especially when it came to enemies.
Buzz!
At that moment, a message suddenly came through on his phone.
"Zhong Yan?"
Opening it, there was only a short sentence.
But.
His brows relaxed, and Xu Heng felt somewhat relieved.
"Young Master Xu?" Several core security personnel were puzzled.
"That guy, although strong enough, is unfortunately a bit foolish."
"To be so eager to take sides, haha, even daring to meddle in the affairs of those two..."
With a flash in his eyes, Xu Heng shook his head.
He knew that since that person had decided to intervene in this matter.
He probably didn't need to worry anymore.
A day later.
Chen Feng's face was pale, his eyes dim.
The Black Tide Creatures in the Qinggang City Dreamscape were too formidable. He had tried to activate the Azure Armor Limit Break State and, together with the Holy Shield Colossus, targeted the One-Eyed Lava Troll at the sixth tier.
But unfortunately, the troll's companions appeared too timely, preventing him from killing it.
Moreover.
"There are actually several sixth-tier creatures."
"Were they hiding elsewhere in Qinggang City, or did they come from beyond the collapsed walls?"
He pondered silently, having suffered heavy injuries inside and being forced to exit the dreamscape once again.
Even after taking a nap, he still felt quite drained, unable to recover much.
Shaking his head to dispel the heavy fatigue.
He looked at the panel before him.
[Strength: 63.2→63.5]
[Agility: 50.1→50.5]
[Constitution: 66.4→66.7]
[Willpower: 68.4]
Ten Attribute Light Orbs. Chen Feng wasn't sure if the Blood Moon had detected his pattern of entering the dreamscape.
The Black Tide Creatures that gathered were growing stronger, and several sixth-tier creatures surrounded him, putting him in constant peril. The efficiency of searching for Light Orbs had even dropped somewhat.
Thinking of this, he ultimately allocated all the Limit Breaking Orbs he had absorbed to the Extreme Martial Fist.
He possessed the key to mastering Falling Sun, pushing it to the limits of its level, which could once again greatly enhance the power of Extreme Martial Fist.
As for the Life Seed Awakening Method, he had a better way that didn't require Limit Breaking Orbs.
Buzz!
[Extreme Martial Fist: Falling Sun (39%)]
Immediately, the Limit Breaking Orbs were consumed, and the progress of Extreme Martial Fist increased again.
After a quick glance, Chen Feng picked up his phone.
Zhou Wuren's actions were faster than he had expected, having sent several messages last night.
[Zhou Wuren: I asked, and Old Leader Zhang told me that the Star Palace is a special organization.]
[Its original purpose was to find a way to break through the Pinnacle Realm, so it invited martial arts experts from all over the Earth.]
[Only Pinnacle Realm experts can secure the Twelve Seats. Although they have never been fully occupied, each seat is held by a prominent figure in the martial arts world of various countries on Earth. For example, the Mountain Ancestor from Suro might be one of them.]
[Due to the prevalence of martial arts in some technologically backward regions, the influence of the Star Palace is not limited to the martial arts world, especially in some war-torn, underdeveloped small countries, where it can sway certain situations.]
The message was long, sent by Zhou Wuren late at night, perhaps worried that Chen Feng might be asleep, so he deliberately sent a text message.
Chen Feng's expression was serious as he finished reading the last message.
[Zhou Wuren: However, Old Leader Zhang also mentioned some other things.]
[Although the Star Palace is a powerful force, the Twelve Seats are not united, each with their own interests and conflicts.]
[Moreover, each seat holder seeks to surpass the Pinnacle Realm and forge a stronger martial path, so unless it's related to this, they rarely join forces.]
Indeed.
Chen Feng shook his head; this was not far from his previous speculation.
The Star Palace does hold a somewhat transcendent position in the martial arts world, but all this is constrained by the limits of martial arts, not without a ceiling.
However, he was somewhat puzzled as to why Old Leader Zhang knew so much about this.
"Could it be that he is one of the seat holders of the Star Palace?"
This sudden guess seemed not impossible to Chen Feng.
But if that were the case, why would the Divine Martial Alliance Leader need to invite Liu Duanyun instead of him directly leading the way? Shaking his head, he didn't delve deeper.
Old Zhou's message had revealed some higher secrets to him.
Of course, he also knew that this might be Old Leader Zhang selling him a favor, easing the relationship between him and the Saint Sect.
[Thank you.]
After replying with these two words, Chen Feng put down his phone and pushed open the door of the courtyard.
It was the end of winter and the beginning of spring, and the chilly breeze still carried a hint of cold.
The bamboo forest rustled, and ripples danced on the pond.
Outside the mountain gate courtyard, someone was already waiting, and soon nodded to give instructions, ensuring that breakfast was delivered on time.
"Senior Brother."
Xu Tingxiao, dressed in a blue-patterned ancient robe, finished his morning practice and walked over.
There were a couple of stone stools by the stone table, and he inquired about the key points of breaking through to True Intent.
"Oh?" Chen Feng raised an eyebrow slightly, sensing for a moment.
Only then did he realize that, unknowingly, Xu Tingxiao had already reached the Third Level of Inner Strength, mastering the Burning Mountain of Crimson Tiger Force, just a step away from breaking through to Flame Tiger.
It wasn't too surprising, as the other party was naturally highly talented.
During this period, the Flame Tiger Sect had become increasingly powerful, with more secret medicine resources, so naturally, Xu Tingxiao had also benefited greatly.
"Breaking through is like eating and drinking, it comes naturally."
"If you haven't been able to condense True Intent, it's naturally because there's still a slight flaw in your Force, not yet perfected, so you can't visualize and solidify it to achieve True Intent."
Chen Feng spoke calmly. With a vision that surpassed even that of a Grandmaster, he naturally noticed some minor issues.
Xu Tingxiao was slightly taken aback and wanted to ask a couple more questions.
However, Chen Feng's gaze sharpened.
Images flashed in his mind—scenes observed by the small stone statue he had left in the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm.
Lost in thought, he patted Xu Tingxiao on the shoulder.
The nourishment required for the Sacred Flame Awakening Method, and an opportunity for the Holy City to make a move.
Perfectly, he could kill two birds with one stone.
(End of the Chapter)
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