Translator: CinderTL
"Shen Lei's Mech-Warrior Device was upgraded long ago, equipped with special energy technology, and he has mastered the Mech-Warrior Technique."
"Even a typical Fifth-Tier Cyborg is no match for him. Since he's willing to make a move, he should be able to uncover all the details about this person."
In an aircraft heading toward the inner city walls of Yun Port.
Inside the Virtual Light Screen Suspension Pod, a blue projection displayed a scene thousands of miles away.
The signboard of the Flame Tiger Martial Hall stood out prominently, with red decorations, flower baskets, and ribbons scattered everywhere.
Seeing this, a stern and authoritative middle-aged man nodded slightly and then inquired through the communication module.
"What about the Blue Demon Team?"
An illegal, civilian cyborg organization that actually had a Fifth-Tier Cyborg.
He didn't want anyone interfering with his plan to find the culprit.
"We've already warned them. If they dare to intervene, we'll just issue a warrant and label them as a malicious cyborg group."
"At that point, I'll report it to the Red Guard and have them officially wanted."
Red General Wu replied earnestly through the communication module. The stern and authoritative man nodded.
"Well done."
"When the time comes, I'll apply to the higher-ups. Perhaps we can use the Radiant Light Secret Realm incident to secure a new Flying General position."
As soon as these words were spoken, Red General Wu's breathing in the communication module paused, becoming slightly heavier.
As a Red General of the Red Guard, he had his own pride.
Everything was proceeding smoothly, and it was worth all the effort he had put into this matter, even if it had caused controversy within the Red Guard and nearly offended the Royal City Flying General.
"Thank you for your concern, Councilor Luo."
He said respectfully, but the stern and authoritative Luo Wantao did not respond further.
The Virtual Light Screen Suspension Pod remained active, and the scene within it came into view once more.
Hum! The tail thruster roared as a single-person aircraft hovered in mid-air.
A stranger in a black jacket, appearing to be in his thirties, carried a black briefcase. His short-cropped hair framed a pair of cold, disdainful eyes that exuded an innate arrogance.
The crowd around the Martial Hall was stunned, while Jadeite Biotech's drones hid in a distant corner.
The scene was quietly transmitted back, causing a young man on the rooftop of a certain high-rise building to smirk.
"Zhong Yan was right after all."
"I just didn't expect Shen Lei to make a move. Heh, it seems this guy won't come out of this unscathed."
Shaking his head with a smirk, the scene in his view transmitted another sound.
"It seems the Flame Tiger Grandmaster is scared?"
The man spoke coldly, his tone arrogant.
Standing on the single-person aircraft, he held the briefcase and looked down at the various gazes below him.
The festive red atmosphere froze in place, and the expressions of the people under the flower baskets and lanterns varied.
Disciples of the Flame Tiger Sect gathered in anger, while the councilors and corporate representatives who had come to offer congratulations frowned in confusion.
"A Cyborg?"
"What's going on?"
"Are Cyborgs even considered part of Martial Arts?"
"Coming to spar on opening day? Isn't this just a challenge?"
Amid the murmurs of confusion, Lin Hao and Zhao Meng's expressions darkened. The former spoke up seriously.
"Old Yuan, do you see what's happening?"
"Little Boss, it seems like a Fifth-Tier."
Yuan Yueshan, who had followed them, looked grave. The scanning module in his eyes detected waves of energy fluctuations.
As if sensing he was being observed, the man with the briefcase snorted coldly. A force field flashed around him, cutting off all energy scans like a blade.
Someone groaned, feeling their scanning module invaded and disrupted by an abnormal force.
Yuan Yueshan's expression grew increasingly grave, and the Giant Elephant Grandmaster beside him also furrowed his brows, sensing that something was amiss.
"Grandmaster Chen?"
Pei Pokong and the others frowned as they spoke, clearly recognizing this as a challenge to their dojo.
Cyborgs, though nominally part of the martial arts world, had long been tacitly accepted as a path of modification within the martial arts community.
Thus, it was evident.
The visitor harbored ill intentions, and this would not be an easy confrontation.
Tap! Without responding, Chen Feng simply took a step forward, standing before the group.
The malice he sensed was unfamiliar; he didn't recall any past grievances with this person.
"Speak."
"Who sent you?"
Chen Feng asked calmly, his black trench coat fluttering in the wind.
The surrounding noise suddenly quieted for a moment as Shen Lei, standing on a single-person aircraft, raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting."
His eyes flickered, but he did not respond directly.
"You need not ask me for a reason. I only have one question."
"Do you dare to engage in this martial arts exchange or not?"
As soon as the words fell, before Chen Feng could respond, a stubborn member of the martial arts world, unable to contain his anger, angrily questioned.
"Can Cyborgs even be considered part of martial arts?"
"Why not?"
Shen Lei sneered, standing on his single-person aircraft, and with a wave of his hand.
An invisible magnetic field suddenly appeared, and a ring on his wrist detached, floating in mid-air.
Roar!!
The roar of a dragon echoed, and a dazzling blue light filled the air.
The virtual True Intent of a Flying Dragon appeared in the sky, its imposing aura indistinguishable from that of martial arts True Intent, almost no different at all.
The person who had asked earlier flushed red, wanting to retort but finding himself at a loss for words. "This is clearly heretical technique!"
Suddenly, an elderly martial arts master with white hair and beard, dressed in a gray robe, stepped forward.
"Our martial arts emphasize training force, tempering the body, cleansing the tendons and meridians, with the skin, flesh, bones, and muscles as the root, the Spirit Soul and spirit as the branches, and the internal organs and force as the leaves."
"Skin, flesh, bones, organs, force, strength, spirit, and the Pinnacle Realm!"
"What you're doing is merely relying on modification, using a magnetic field to simulate martial arts True Intent. It's not true martial arts!"
The old man's voice echoed, and many in the martial arts world nodded in agreement, instinctively clenching their fists.
Even some former martial artists, now Cyborgs, were reminded of their past training and stances, their expressions complex.
"Haha."
However, Shen Lei sneered.
The True Intent of the Flying Dragon dissipated as he stood on his single-person aircraft, mocking in response.
"What you speak of is merely the Ancient Martial Arts Method. The decline of martial arts is due to stubborn and decayed people like you, unwilling to innovate, clinging only to old methods, and ignoring new paths."
His attitude was arrogant, and the elderly man glared at him in anger.
But before he could speak further, Shen Lei raised a finger, sneering arrogantly, "You may train your force through stances, but I refine my heart through modification."
"You need to integrate your force into one to project True Intent, while I only need to hold fast to my core, embracing all things, to also manifest martial arts True Intent."
"You struggle with talent, burdened by your physical body, lacking in insight, your vitality waning, and you may never reach the level of a Grandmaster in your lifetime. But with unwavering consciousness, we can seek the Source Aura in the Deep Sea, observe and practice countless martial arts, and break through the shackles to achieve the status of a Grandmaster."
"As for the Pinnacle Realm..."
With a cold tone, Shen Lei locked eyes with the elderly man, deliberately saying word by word as he watched the other's face flush red, "The so-called Pinnacle Realm is merely the legendary limit of ancient martial arts."
"Although the mysteries of the human body are extraordinary, there will inevitably come a time when one's strength is exhausted."
"Yet, the vastness of the world's myriad things holds immense potential. My path of Cyborgs, adept at utilizing external tools, can naturally transcend the Pinnacle Realm and even reach greater heights."
"Tell me, how is my Cyborg path not martial arts?"
His words were firm and resonant, as if a dragon's roar echoed from his body, shaking the hearts of all who heard.
The elderly man pointed at him, stammering "you" three times in a row.
His blood and qi surged, nearly causing him to spit out blood and collapse. Fortunately, at the critical moment, the Third Elder appeared to support him, helping to regulate his qi and blood.
Seeing this, Shen Lei sneered disdainfully.
He then turned his gaze to the others in the Martial Arts World.
Some were bewildered, as if their spirits had been shattered by his words.
Others felt it was heresy and wanted to refute him, but when they opened their mouths, they found they had no grounds to do so.
Cyborgs had always been a unique existence, both similar to and distinct from traditional martial arts.
They possessed higher limits and greater strength, yet they also bore traces of ancient martial arts methods.
The atmosphere grew silent for a moment. Passersby on the street curiously gathered to watch, while others who had overheard the commotion frowned in contemplation.
Finding the situation uninteresting, Shen Lei smirked contemptuously and quickly shifted his gaze away from these people. He then looked down at the entrance of the Martial Hall, where the Giant Elephant Grandmaster and others stood with grim expressions.
Having practiced martial arts their entire lives, wasn't it simply because they refused to admit the decline of martial arts?
There had been those who said Cyborgs might carry the banner of martial arts, but how many dared to shamelessly acknowledge it?
In that moment, the veil of martial arts was torn away. Even as Grandmasters, Pei Pokong and the others felt a fleeting sense of confusion.
"What do you say, Flame Tiger Grandmaster?"
"If you're afraid, just say so. I, Shen Lei, have never bullied the weak."
"Or perhaps, you plan to call upon your two Cyborg friends to step in?"
His deliberately provocative words rang out once more. The figure standing on a single-person aircraft continued to sneer, silencing the crowd.
The many members of the Martial Arts World exchanged glances, but no one could muster a rebuttal.
Moreover, all eyes gradually shifted, once again focusing on the young man in the black trench coat.
Anticipation, confusion, doubt, and worry—if they acknowledged Cyborgs as martial arts, then the other party would have to accept this clearly hostile and dangerous challenge.
If they didn't acknowledge it, it would be an implicit admission of defeat, losing the dignity and face of a Martial Arts Grandmaster, or even a Pinnacle Realm Master.
"Fengzi..."
Lin Hao called out from behind, his voice tinged with concern.
The other party had clearly come prepared. If they let the White Giant step in, it would be tantamount to admitting defeat and giving others a reason to criticize.
The situation was continuously relayed back by drones, causing the young man inside the high-rise building to look increasingly amused, as if he could already see the scene of an awkward and humiliating conclusion.
Tap! The sound of leather shoes hitting the ground.
The black trench coat fluttered in the wind once more. Beneath his sharp eyebrows, his deep eyes seemed to flash with a hint of aggressive crimson.
"Today is a joyous occasion."
"I don't want to kill anyone."
Lifting his head to meet the other's gaze, Chen Feng spoke in a calm, low voice.
"Abandon your Cyborg path and leave Nanjiang."
"I can spare your life."
As his words fell, the atmosphere grew silent for a moment.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock, completely unprepared for him to respond in such a manner.
Shen Lei, standing on the single-person aircraft, frowned and glared coldly, equally surprised by the other's audacity.
Don't want to kill? Spare my life?
"You seem even more arrogant than me?"
A cold, seemingly gritted voice slowly rang out. Chen Feng's eyes were filled with a deep crimson, yet he remained standing still.
Buzz! The scorching heat burned, though the world around seemed ordinary.
Yet, the people around keenly felt their breaths grow heavy, as if they were trapped in a furnace, the heat unbearable.
"Comparing yourself to me... are you worthy?"
(End of the Chapter)
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