Translator: CinderTL
[Sacred Flame Awakening Method: Fourth Tier (89%)]
"Just a little more."
The night sky was shrouded in darkness, dotted with stars.
Chen Feng stood on a cliff in the Gobi Desert, seemingly gazing at the night sky, but in reality, he was quietly observing the floating panel before him.
After leaving the Grey Gobi Tribe, everything had gone relatively smoothly.
They had annihilated three medium-sized Serpentfolk tribes and over a dozen smaller ones.
Thanks to this, he could sense that the fist-sized crimson flame in his dantian, located in his lower abdomen, had grown by a full third.
The faint white-gold light within it had also become more concentrated, no longer flickering weakly in and out.
In addition, Chen Feng could feel that his body had undergone some tempering.
Just as the key points of the Awakening Method described, the Sacred Flame tempered his physical body, forging it like iron, repeatedly removing impurities and strengthening his flesh.
"Step by step, then."
Lost in thought, Chen Feng could feel that the mental trauma he had suffered within the dream realm had completely healed.
Of course, this hadn't come without a cost.
Six days ago, he had suppressed the urge to return and, for the first time, activated the Dark Dream Mark, allowing him to stay longer.
The tiny serpent-shaped mark on his palm was unusually deep, and the Serpent Spirit Power he had collected was slowly but continuously dissipating.
The reason for this was to seize the opportunity to plunder a large number of Serpent Spirit Fruits from the Serpentfolk tribes, gathering the nourishment needed to break through to the fifth tier of the Sacred Flame Awakening Method as quickly as possible.
"Unfortunately, we encountered one of the medium-sized tribes on the road and didn't manage to obtain their Serpent Spirit Fruit."
Shaking his head, Chen Feng felt a bit regretful.
Then, sensing footsteps approaching from behind, he set aside his thoughts and turned to look.
In the desolate Gobi Desert, there was a flat, abandoned clearing behind him.
Molly, clad in a rattan armor cloak, walked over with a water pouch, while a small grayish-white stone statue flitted around behind her, chasing a firefly emitting a faint green light.
"Master, have some water."
Molly handed over the water pouch, but Chen Feng declined with a shake of his head. He then turned his gaze to the numerous Flying Eagles on the flat clearing.
The smaller ones were three to five meters in size, while the larger ones reached seven to eight meters.
Their auras ranged from the third to the fourth tier, and now they were all lying on the ground, claws tucked in, feathers stained with blood, their eagle eyes filled with exhaustion.
The surrounding Silver Armor Warriors were either offering them water from their pouches or grooming their feathers, washing away the blood of the Serpentfolk.
Most of the warriors looked weary, their auras noticeably diminished, clearly having expended a great deal of energy.
For nearly ten days straight, the group had barely rested.
No matter how strong they were, after such continuous battles and travel, they would inevitably feel fatigued and worn out.
Clank, clank.
Olon, clad in heavy silver armor, approached.
"Lord Feng Chen, everyone is quite exhausted. Would you consider taking a short rest?"
He clasped his hands in a respectful request, and Chen Feng nodded.
If they were too drained, continuing like this wouldn't be effective. They needed to recover fully.
Seeing his agreement, Olon clasped his hands again in gratitude and turned to issue the order to rest.
But then.
"Hmm?"
A sudden thought struck Chen Feng, and he abruptly looked up, gazing into the distant starry sky.
His movement caught everyone's attention, and they all followed his gaze.
The night sky, the Gobi Desert, the cold wind, and the dust.
Beyond that, there was no trace of anything else.
"Master?"
Molly asked, puzzled, but Chen Feng's expression grew increasingly serious.
He had grown accustomed to the rejection mark of the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm.
However, ever since intercepting and annihilating the third medium-sized tribe, he had felt this sense of being marked and excluded growing stronger.
It even gave him an inexplicable sense of crisis.
"You all should leave."
Suddenly, Chen Feng spoke up.
He knew that the Serpent God Temple had likely learned of the Holy City's actions and had sent powerful individuals to intercept and kill them.
Moreover, the intense sense of danger he felt could only mean that a sixth-order Saint had taken action.
At this moment, he was like a torch in the night, completely exposed in the eyes of the Serpent God Temple. It was only a matter of time before they came for him.
"Master?"
Molly looked puzzled, and Olon was equally confused.
But soon, as if realizing something, his expression changed slightly.
"My Lord! If we leave, we leave together!"
"Let's return to the Holy City together!"
He spoke seriously.
Although he knew that Chen Feng's vigilance was likely related to the Serpent God Temple, he still didn't want the other to face it alone.
"No need, you all should leave quickly."
Shaking his head, Chen Feng had already made his decision.
Olon and the others were not weak, but if a sixth-order Saint truly appeared, they would only become a burden.
Besides.
"Don't you think this is a great opportunity?"
Looking at the troubled expressions of the group, Chen Feng spoke up.
Olon and Molly were still confused, but the fifth-order commander of the Thorn Corps seemed to have an idea.
"My Lord, what do you mean?"
"If they dare to come for me, they will surely send a sufficient number of powerful individuals."
"Although the allied forces of the Serpentfolk tribes are strong, their number of powerful individuals is limited. This is our chance to annihilate the other tribes."
He looked around at the group, fully aware that the Holy City's tactics would eventually meet resistance.
Their previous success was due to the element of surprise.
But now, with the Serpentfolk tribes on alert, they would surely consolidate their territories and even send enough powerful individuals to intercept and kill.
Traveling with them would only expose their tracks too much. Perhaps it was time to change their approach.
As for the Serpent Spirit Fruit... He looked at Molly and gave her a few serious instructions.
Finally, after agreeing on a specific time and place, the crouching Flying Eagle rose again, and the weary Silver Armor Warriors gradually climbed onto its back, armed with spears, swords, and bows.
"Master, you..."
"I have my own way."
Chen Feng shook his head at Molly, signaling her not to worry.
In the night sky over the desert, the cold wind blew.
Molly was silent for a moment, her brown eyes filled with worry and gloom.
In the end, she could only leave with the determined Olon.
"Master, take care!"
"Lord Feng Chen, please return safely!"
Everyone knew that Chen Feng was acting as bait to delay the powerful individuals from the Serpent God Temple, and they were deeply moved.
An outsider, willing to go this far for their Holy City.
Amidst their complex expressions, a small grayish-white stone statue flew over and landed on Molly's shoulder.
As they exchanged glances, the young man in linen clothes stood on the desert cliff, his clothes fluttering in the wind, silently watching them leave.
"The Serpent Spirit Fruit..."
Thinking of the earlier instructions, Molly looked away.
Her eyes gradually filled with determination, and the group soon left the area.
The dark brown Flying Eagle blended perfectly into the night, the sound of its wings gradually fading.
Chen Feng's expression grew calmer, and a ball of light solidified, casting a massive shadow that obscured everything.
"Let's go."
Moving in the opposite direction, the Holy Shield Colossus flapped its stone wings, quickly carrying him away from the area.
Three more days passed in silence.
An oasis appeared at the edge of their vision.
"The Fengyan Tribe..."
The massive white limestone statue pierced through the clouds, its wings spread wide as it soared through the sky.
Chen Feng recalled the map in his memory, where there was also a medium-sized tribe. Although he had split from the Holy City and others to act separately, he wouldn't give up any opportunity to seize the Serpent Spirit Fruit.
Whoosh!!
The stone wings flapped, and a fierce wind swept through.
His hemp clothes fluttered in the wind, and below, amidst the green forests and fields, there was an oval-shaped lake.
The colossus was about to fly over it when, in the next second—
Boom!!! A water column shot into the sky, and the ground shook and cracked.
A black spear, trailing a streak of light, emerged from the bottom of the lake, shooting straight into the heavens.
A bone-chilling coldness spread, as if the air itself had turned icy.
The whistling sound was piercingly loud. Chen Feng looked down and saw golden light erupting from the colossus.
Thud!!
Beneath the massive golden armor.
The black spear clashed with the invisible golden light, and an extremely violent force erupted from the collision, not much inferior to the Holy Shield Colossus.
Hum!!
At the same moment, the azure sky suddenly changed color, and the white clouds seemed to be on fire.
Chen Feng looked again and saw that on the cliff in the forest, a red-scaled Serpentfolk in a crimson robe had appeared at some point.
The aged serpent head was expressionless, and the scales reflected a deep, searing red.
In the blink of an eye, an invisible flame bow and arrow formed in his hands, and a powerful aura erupted.
Whoosh!!! A pillar of fire shot into the sky as a flaming arrow streaked through the air.
The terrifying attack was dazzling, leaving trails of white vapor in its wake. The scorching heat distorted the view and burned the air.
"Mo!!"
The Holy Shield Colossus roared, and a golden light enveloped its entire body.
Beneath the crown, the diamond-shaped crystal exuded an imposing aura.
It forcefully repelled the black spear strike at its abdomen, suspended its body, and swung its fist like a pillar of rock.
Boom!!! The flaming arrow collided with the fist, and at first, it was just a single point, but then a sea of fire erupted, igniting the heavens and the earth.
Everything within a hundred meters was engulfed in flames, forming a circular wall of fire that seemed intent on sealing off all escape routes for Chen Feng and the colossus.
"Outsider, you should not interfere in our affairs with the Holy City!"
A cold snort rang out, and hundreds of meters away, the previously empty sky suddenly changed.
It was as if an invisible curtain had been pulled away, and more than a dozen black figures appeared in the sky.
Each of them was clad in black armor, holding spears and bows, standing atop small black Winged Serpents.
In the center, a massive gray-brown Winged Serpent, over ten meters long, hovered in the sky. On its serpent head stood three figures.
All wore black cloaks with hoods, their cuffs adorned with serpent patterns.
Two of them stood slightly behind, while the leader lowered his hood. Around his waist was a black pouch with a serpent design, and his face was equally aged.
In that moment of eye contact, Chen Feng saw him raise his hand.
Whoosh!!! The black spear that had been repelled by the Holy Shield Colossus suddenly shot into the air again, landing in the leader's palm.
This move made Chen Feng narrow his eyes slightly. Then he saw the High Priest Rong Yan on the cliff in the forest draw his bow again, shooting another pillar of fire into the sky.
Boom!!
It seemed capable of burning the heavens and the earth, and even the wall of fire surrounding the sky was ignited, instantly transforming into a curtain of flames that closed in on the Holy Shield Colossus.
The air sizzled, and white vapor rose from the evaporation.
Even from a distance, some of the Serpentfolk felt the scorching pain.
Whoosh!!
At the same moment, the Saint of the Serpent God Temple, who stood at the head of the Winged Serpent, hurled a black spear once more, aiming directly at Chen Feng on the shoulder of the Holy Shield Colossus.
The powerful attacks coordinated seamlessly, and the Holy Shield Colossus erupted with golden light, its stone wings vibrating, stirring up a fierce gale.
Whoosh!! It effortlessly fanned away the flames, breaking through the blockade.
The mighty pillar of fire arrows was forcefully blocked by the brute strength of the white and gray palms, as golden light and flames mutually eroded each other.
Swoosh!!
At that very moment, the black spear followed like a persistent shadow.
The golden patterns on the stone wings of the Holy Shield Colossus shone brightly as it abruptly descended, slashing horizontally.
Clang!!
Sparks flew as some kind of inscription appeared on the surface of the black spear.
Though it was just a faint trace, the spear did not shatter.
Hiss!! The menacing cry of the Winged Serpent suddenly drew closer. Focusing, one could see the massive gray-brown Winged Serpent diving down, its mouth wide open.
A foul stench filled the air as the colossus sidestepped to avoid it.
But the next second.
Buzz!!
The Winged Serpent suddenly twisted its head mid-air, and streams of brown light gathered within its gaping maw. A strong sense of corrosion and danger surged in his heart.
"A sixth-tier beast."
A low murmur, as a bluish-black carapace rapidly spread, covering the entire body.
Sizzle! Boom!! The accumulated black light erupted from the horn, piercing through the flames and colliding with the gray-brown breath mid-air.
Boom!! The explosion roared, the deafening sound shaking the heavens.
The blinding beams of light mutually eroded each other, splitting a portion of the sky into gray-brown and darkness.
The surrounding white clouds had long since dispersed, and the Serpentfolk below the sixth tier were wide-eyed, unable to believe what they were seeing.
How could an outsider withstand the might of the sacred beast of the Serpent God Temple?
Bang!!
The breath and the Black Flash exploded simultaneously, the corrosive air dissipated, and the sizzling black light rapidly faded.
Below, on the cliff of the mountain forest, High Priest Rong Yan's serpentine pupils contracted.
Focusing, the figure on the shoulder of the colossus had already transformed.
Thick limbs and shoulders, menacing blood-striped wings.
A crimson pattern coiled around its chest, forming the image of a horn.
The crimson was bright, a wisp of red light rising from it, merging with the scarlet eyes.
"Do you really think you can kill me with just these few?"
A cold inquiry, the horn overlooking everyone on the ground.
The Holy Shield Colossus suddenly unleashed its power, dispersing all the flames.
The black spear that had been thrust at it was caught in its massive palms, forcefully gripped.
The inscriptions on the spear flickered continuously, clearly showing the spear violently shaking, trying to escape the grasp of the palms, but failing.
"Arrogant!!"
Suddenly, a cold shout.
The elderly Envoy of the Serpent God Temple quickly suppressed his shock, his serpentine eyes revealing a bone-chilling killing intent.
No wonder the Serpent God had given the revelation to capture this man alive at all costs.
A mere fifth-tier individual actually exuded a hint of Saintly aura. It seems there must be some secret on him.
Buzz!!
In an instant, the black spear erupted with a shocking black light, forcibly breaking free from the grasp of the Holy Shield Colossus.
Chen Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, then saw the massive Winged Serpent pouncing towards him.
Above, the elderly Envoy's body transformed, bursting out of his black robe, growing to a burly three meters tall, revealing a lizard-like, menacing form.
Swoosh!!! The black spear was tightly gripped in his hand, and he leaped out, charging through the air towards the head of the colossus, aiming to slay it like a dragon.
"Seeking death!!"
The red fiberglass eyes blazed, and the golden Steel Bones glinted with a flash of warning.
Clang!!!
A black spear swung wide, shrieking as it struck, sparks flying. The Temple Envoy sneered, unfazed.
But then—
Boom!!
The Horn Strike landed. Air ruptured with a deafening sonic boom.
Crimson patterns flared to life on the chest of the azure-black figure. In a blink, it vanished—
—a blur slicing through the sky.
Boom!!!
A ring of white mist erupted as a fist slammed square into the Envoy's chest and gut.
His snake-like pupils shrank. His body folded like a bow, then whipped backward—
crashing violently into the hulking form of the Winged Serpent.
The next heartbeat was a blur of motion—
streaks of azure-black and crimson collided in midair.
Killing intent exploded.
Head-on. Unstoppable.
(End of the Chapter)
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