Translator: CinderTL
"Not in the Cloud Dream Forest."
In the training room of the Martial Hall, Chen Feng put down his phone, a cold glint flashing briefly in his eyes.
He hadn't expected the prey to dare leave the safe zone.
However, he was also puzzled.
The other party had previously stayed in the Secret Realm ruins, likely anticipating that the inverted pyramid might undergo some unusual changes.
This often signified unknown opportunities, such as the discovery of Primordial Creature Blood Essence or other high-level resources.
But now, the other party had left before the anomaly occurred.
"For what reason?"
Chen Feng narrowed his eyes, pondering for a moment but not delving deeper.
Regardless of her reasons, there was only one thing he needed to do.
Wait for the cooperation promised by the Black Crystal Group, which would provide an accurate location to track and lock onto.
Then, erase the causality.
With his mind made up, he ended his attempt to activate the Steel Bones technique.
Pushing open the door, he stepped into the corridor.
Figures dressed in training attire moved about on the second floor—these were the core class instructors, mostly True Disciples of various schools.
Most of the students were in their respective training rooms, receiving guidance and instruction, practicing stances and punches.
Others were in the first-floor hall, either working out or sparring on the small arena.
This new Martial Hall was significantly larger than the previous ones, with ample space spread across two floors.
Chen Feng glanced around briefly before spotting several familiar figures.
Zhang Guiyuan, the True Disciple with a severed arm, and Xu Tingxiao, dressed in a blue tracksuit.
Zhao Jushan was currently in the meditation room, receiving the two and pouring tea for them.
Upon learning their purpose, he said with a hint of frustration, "Junior Brother Chen is still in seclusion, and no one is allowed to disturb him."
"You'll have to wait a bit longer."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Tingxiao looked puzzled.
"Senior Brother has been going into seclusion more frequently lately, hasn't he?"
He remembered that Chen Feng rarely did so in the past.
"It's different now."
Shaking his head, Zhang Guiyuan, with his gray-black hair and dressed in an ancient jade-patterned green robe, picked up a teacup from the table with his remaining right arm.
He sighed, "Junior Brother Chen has already surpassed the Grandmaster level, reaching the pinnacle."
"At the end of the road, his seclusion is likely to seek the path forward."
"Otherwise, where would the Flame True Skill that the three of us practice have come from?"
Xu Tingxiao nodded in understanding, and Zhao Jushan also nodded in agreement.
Just as he was about to respond further, the next moment—
Click!
The door opened, and a young man in a black trench coat appeared in their line of sight, with a disciple respectfully holding the door open.
"Senior Brother!"
Xu Tingxiao was momentarily stunned before exclaiming in delight.
Beside him, Zhao Jushan snapped out of his thoughts, and Zhang Guiyuan also stood up solemnly.
Chen Feng nodded in acknowledgment, a glint of light flickering in his eyes.
He sensed the aura of the Seed of Life within the flames.
Though faint, it was clear that all three had successfully visualized and begun practicing the Sacred Flame Awakening Method.
Moreover—
Looking at Zhang Guiyuan, the True Disciple who had once suffered a severe injury from losing his arm, his hair had turned gray-white, and his wrinkles had deepened.
But now, his hair had turned gray-black, his complexion was rosy, and his vitality was robust.
If not for the empty left sleeve that served as a reminder of the past, no one would have imagined he had suffered such a devastating injury.
"True Intent?" Chen Feng asked with a smile.
"Yes! Thanks to Junior Brother Chen for creating the Sacred Flame True Skill."
Zhang Guiyuan nodded heavily, sighing, "This method is highly compatible with the Heavenly Flame Technique. On the night I successfully visualized the Sacred Flame, I felt a hint of opportunity."
"After several days of refinement and the aid of secret medicine, I finally managed to break through to the True Intent Realm."
Although he wasn't overly excited, his expression was still tinged with a complex mix of emotions.
He had once thought that he would never reach the True Intent Realm again.
But unexpectedly, what he had lost had quietly returned.
The word "fate" is truly unpredictable.
Chen Feng nodded slightly, having roughly understood the situation.
The effects of the Sacred Flame Awakening Method weren't as exaggerated as they seemed. The reason the other party had broken through so quickly was due to an important factor.
Before the incident with the Flying Dragon Sect, the other party had already reached the peak of Inner Strength and had even touched the threshold of True Intent.
Even after losing an arm, he hadn't given up. However, due to his physical disability, it was difficult for him to unblock his meridians and establish an internal circulation, which delayed the crucial step of externalizing his thoughts.
The Sacred Flame Awakening Method could temper the physical body and strengthen the bones and muscles. The Seed of Life itself could also amplify the Force, which just happened to help him overcome this hurdle.
Without further explanation, Chen Feng then turned his gaze to Xu Tingxiao and the other.
Their auras were smooth, and their Force was deep red, almost crimson.
"It seems that the two of you won't be far from breaking through to True Intent either."
Nodding as he spoke, Chen Feng felt that his choice had indeed been correct.
The Sacred Flame visualization and the Heavenly Flame Force were exceptionally compatible. This might be the future path of the Heavenly Flame Technique.
Xu Tingxiao and the other didn't know his thoughts, but they both smiled and nodded, their eyes filled with anticipation for breaking through to True Intent.
"By the way, Master said he's going into seclusion."
Remembering the instructions before descending the mountain, Chen Feng nodded.
This was within his expectations. Everything was moving towards a better situation.
He then planned to give the two of them some guidance.
But soon.
Buzz!
His phone vibrated.
In his perception, the screen's note appeared, and the name "Chu Shihong" flashed in his mind.
After answering the call, Chen Feng finally looked at the three people in front of him.
"Shall we go together?"
Whoosh!!
A few minutes later, an aircraft rose into the air from outside the Flame Tiger Martial Hall.
The holographic projection of the sea on the suspended street was pierced, and for a moment, the virtual and the real seemed to overlap.
Xu Tingxiao and the other two had all changed into specially made combat suits. Chen Feng, as usual, sat in the cabin wearing a black trench coat and looked at the other four.
"How's the situation?"
The purpose of this trip was simple: the Evil God Cult in Luohe City had finally been discovered in their lair.
Due to his previous request at the City Council meeting, he needed to personally harvest some Evil God Power. Therefore, the combat team had requested his presence as a precaution.
"Report, Councilor Chen, we have located the Serpent Spirit Sect!"
Four Cyborgs and Modified-Humans in black combat suits, both male and female, mostly at the Silver-grade level, accompanied him.
The speaker was a middle-aged man named Peng Gang.
He was one of the newly created ordinary Titanium-grade Cyborgs in Nanjiang, approved by the Provincial Council due to the new city construction project.
Affiliated with the City Council, he was under the command of Chu Shihong.
"Four days ago, after your reminder, we discovered traces of the Serpent Spirit Sect in the northern district of Luohe City."
"After an overnight investigation, we confirmed that the Serpent Spirit Sect's hiding place is in an abandoned old site called Jianxin Steel Factory, near the suburban border of Suro."
Peng Gang had an ordinary appearance, with a crew cut that made him look quite robust.
As he spoke, the other three helped Xu Tingxiao and the others adjust their attire and firearms. At the same time, a virtual screen was opened and suspended in mid-air.
The three-dimensional map unfolded, revealing an abandoned steel factory located in the suburbs of Luohe, near the border with Suro.
"How strong are these people?" Chen Feng glanced at the map and asked.
"Based on the energy reaction instruments and some interrogation results, there should be a mid-level Envoy among these heretics," Peng Gang said seriously, his expression grave.
A mid-level Envoy, in other words, corresponds to the level of a fourth-tier ordinary Titanium-grade, equivalent to the threshold of a Martial Arts Grandmaster.
Chen Feng nodded calmly, but his interest had already waned significantly.
Unconsciously, he had reached a height that even Grandmasters could not attain.
Some forces and enemies that he once considered strong had gradually become insignificant, even as easy to crush as sandbags with a single punch.
Without asking further, he sat down on the leather chair by the window, seemingly reviewing the combat materials Peng Gang had sent.
In reality, his shared vision had already connected, and the small gray stone statue number one swiftly appeared.
What greeted his eyes was a desolate wilderness, shaded by green trees.
Wild grass grew chaotically everywhere, with insects and small snakes crawling and alert in the grass and trees.
Amidst the hissing sounds, a flat clearing appeared at the center of the green forest.
Cracked cement walls covered with ivy and vines, rusted railings, and barbed wire fences entangled with thorns.
Rows of gray-black steel sheds stood within, including warehouses and production workshops, with various discarded oil drums, hemp ropes, and wooden crates scattered around.
There were also more than a dozen bags of expired cement piled in a corner of the warehouse, next to a scrapped pickup truck with its hood open.
Everything was captured by the gray stone eye hidden in the corner of the woods, the small statue concealed in the shadows, no longer flying around.
The Serpent Spirit Sect was known for their bizarre methods and their ability to control snakes and insects.
Even the slightest movement could alert them.
Hiss!
Suddenly, the sound of snake tongues hissing echoed again.
More than a dozen colorful, slender snakes slithered from under the green trees toward the abandoned factory.
Before long, a figure in a black robe appeared inside the abandoned factory, and the colorful snakes crawled up his ankles to his hands.
Amidst the hissing, he seemed to understand something.
After cautiously glancing around once more, he waved the snakes away and then entered the warehouse.
"Lord Liya, there's nothing unusual outside," he said respectfully, looking up to see the interior of the massive warehouse, covered in dust and iron shavings.
Seven or eight similarly dressed black-robed figures were scattered around, while more than a dozen young men and women, bound with hemp ropes and gagged with black tape, cowered in fear in a filthy corner of the warehouse.
A hooded figure with serpent patterns stood with his back to them at the center.
There was a square blood pool about seven to eight meters in size, surrounded by a massive circular serpent pattern, emitting a strong stench.
Gurgling sounds occasionally rose as dense, bloody bubbles floated to the surface.
"Hmm."
The hooded Envoy standing with his back to them let out a low hum, seemingly closing his eyes to sense something.
The black-robed man who had come to report grew worried and couldn't help but speak up, "Lord Liya, our outpost in the northern district has lost contact. Do you think something might have happened?"
"They're all dead," the hooded Envoy replied indifferently, without turning his head.
The black-robed man's expression stiffened, and then, as if realizing something, he grew anxious and concerned.
"The Serpent Spirit Ritual is at its most critical stage. Do you think we can leave now?"
A cold, indifferent voice rang out once more, as if the hooded envoy had read his thoughts.
The black-robed figure stiffened, then recalled the plan for this mission.
Back in Nanjiang City, their forces had come so close to awakening the Serpent Spirit and summoning its descent.
Although they had ultimately failed, they had left behind some crucial elements.
So much time had passed since then, and they had to avoid that Pinnacle Realm Master from Nanjiang.
This place was the best location they had chosen, and their last chance.
If they left now...
"Continue," the hooded envoy interrupted his thoughts.
The triangular face covered in serpent scales remained expressionless, its snake-like pupils sweeping over the scene with a chilling gaze.
The bubbling in the blood pool grew more intense, crimson bubbles rising and bursting continuously.
It seemed as if some creature was about to awaken from within, causing the blood pool to boil.
Seeing this, the other black-robed figures dared not delay any longer. They moved to the corners, dragging over the terrified, weeping residents of Luohe City with cold indifference, one by one, and throwing them into the blood pool.
As if some viscous force was at work, those who fell into the pool struggled but could only sink deeper, their eyes filled with terror as they watched their bodies gradually submerged by the bloody water.
Not a single sound could escape their lips, and the sensation of suffocation crept in, their nostrils filled with the nauseating stench and a heart-stopping fear.
Watching all this with indifference, the hooded envoy's body emitted a dark light. He gripped a serpent-shaped staff tightly, his lips moving as if he were conducting some ritual, continuously chanting prayers.
"Great Winged Serpent King, one of the Seven Great Angels under the Serpent God!"
"With the flesh of mortals to nourish your bones, with the fear of mortals to summon your spirit!"
Bubble! Bubble! Bubble!
As the prayers grew louder, the blood pool boiled even more fiercely.
The humans thrown into it were now mostly submerged, their faces etched with terror, as if they were being devoured by some monstrous beast, about to be completely swallowed and digested into nothingness.
"Great Winged Serpent King!"
"This world is tainted, and it needs your purification!"
"Humans are foolish and ignorant, they need your holy light to shine upon them, to make them know the name of the Serpent God!"
The voice grew louder, the cold hooded envoy now fervent and impassioned, his tone tinged with a fanatical excitement.
The other black-robed figures around him paused their actions momentarily, joining in the prayer, repeating his words.
"Great Winged Serpent King!"
"I am your devout believer, Liya!!"
"The world is ignorant and shrouded in darkness, please descend upon this realm and shower it with your holy—"
Boom!!
A missile tore through the air, unleashing chaos.
The steel roof of the warehouse was blown open, a massive hole nearly tearing it apart.
The entire abandoned factory shook violently, and the members of the Serpent Spirit Sect were momentarily stunned.
Looking up, the sound of projectiles whistling through the air continued, both the relentless barrage of missiles and the silver flying shuttles that landed near the blood pool, erupting with magnetic fields to form circular shields, forcibly protecting the hostages who were about to sink.
"Damn it!!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
Explosions rang out continuously, and several ordinary believers were instantly torn apart, their blood splattering across the air.
Tattered black robes flew in all directions, and the other black-robed figures hidden near the warehouse paled in shock.
Before they could recover, they saw aircraft and flying cars speeding in from the sky.
The circular gun barrels turned, and Cyborgs and modified humans riding single-person aircraft swooped down, landing in the midst of the chaos.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!
Amid the dense sound of gunfire, the hissing of serpents was drowned out by the explosions.
The rampaging Cyborgs smashed through everything in their path, piercing steel plates and collapsing factory sheds. The black-robed cultists along the way were reduced to mangled flesh.
A few higher-ranking priests and Lower Envoys managed to barely withstand the onslaught, but soon, Flying Shuttles streaked through the sky, suppressing them.
Watching this scene indifferently, dozens of Flying Cars surrounded several aircraft in the air above.
Especially the one in the center, whose cabin door had opened at some point.
A black trench coat fluttered in the wind as the figure of a young man stood tall in mid-air.
(End of the Chapter)
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