Translator: CinderTL
"Too late, it seems."
In the back seat of the speeding black car, Chen Feng shook his head inwardly as he watched through the shared vision of Stone Statue No. 3.
Bubbles still gurgled to the surface of the Blood Pool, and the lingering stench of blood hung heavy in the air.
The pattern carved into the ground resembled a bat or a crow, surrounded by over a dozen unhandled corpses.
An indescribable sense of unease permeated the entire cave. The moment he discovered this place, he had already dispatched the Holy Shield Colossus to the vicinity.
Unfortunately, no traces had been found so far.
As for the Federation and Safety Bureau personnel...
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Over a dozen flying cars and aircraft arrived at breakneck speed.
Boom!
The cave's stone walls were blasted apart by missiles, revealing Peacekeepers and special forces soldiers.
In addition, several Red Guard Modified Humans and Cyborgs descended on single-person aircraft, including Red General Sun Ling.
"We're too late."
He spoke in a low voice, his expression grim as he surveyed the bloody scene within the cave.
This was a blatant provocation against the Red Guard, a callous disregard for ordinary lives.
"Have we identified who leaked the information?"
"It was a Black Market number. We haven't gotten any results yet."
The Safety Bureau officials immediately spoke up, unaware that Stone Statue No. 3, hidden in the earth far away, had witnessed everything.
"What a pity," Chen Feng thought, shaking his head inwardly as he temporarily severed the shared vision.
He was the one who had notified the Safety Bureau.
His earlier discovery of the Serpent Spirit Sect in Luohe had already drawn attention. If he were to coincidentally stumble upon this situation and report it first, he'd have to spend too much time explaining himself.
Not wanting to bother with explanations or reveal the existence of the Small Stone Statues, he had opted for an anonymous approach.
"It seems my earlier suspicions were correct," Chen Feng mused. "This must be a Dead Crow Cult hideout. Though I don't know why they abandoned it, there's definitely some sinister plot at play here. But is this just a smokescreen?"
Countless thoughts raced through his mind. Then, he received a message from Chu Shihong.
Unaware of the true situation, Chu Shihong had contacted him immediately to report the incident.
After a brief reply, Chen Feng hung up and gazed out the window.
The black car had reached the outskirts. Tonight, he would return directly to the Flame Tiger Sect's Mountain Gate.
This area was once desolate, a wasteland of green fields.
Now, however, factories dotted the landscape, and a massive high wall rose from the distant horizon, encircling the area like a towering giant standing beneath the scorching sun, blocking out much of the light.
A dozen or so massive engineering Flying Cars hovered overhead, using steel cables to transport special materials up and down. Large-scale construction equipment clustered nearby, and even a few engineering robots could be seen moving among them.
Steel plates, wall panels, and fiberglass materials.
The High-Wall Project was progressing rapidly, with two-thirds of the main structure already completed, nearing a complete circular formation.
"That's fast," Cao Tong, in the passenger seat, couldn't help but exclaim.
He had learned some of the truth behind the High-Wall Project and felt a surge of anticipation. After all, Central City and the Secret Realm were opportunities that many cities wouldn't see in decades.
"Could it be that the Dead Crow Cult is hiding in Nanjiang because of the Radiant Light Secret Realm?"
A startling thought suddenly struck Chen Feng, though he wasn't entirely sure.
He recalled Han Chao mentioning that the Black Tide incident in Suojia City had cast a shadow over various factions in Suro, leading to a crackdown on the Evil God Cult.
Coincidentally, Luohe and Nanjiang were the closest cities to Suro.
After a moment of contemplation, Chen Feng's eyes flickered, but he ultimately suppressed his speculative thoughts. Since the Provincial Federation was already taking the matter seriously, no conspiracy, no matter how elaborate, would be insurmountable.
Moreover...
His gaze returned to calm. Having crossed the threshold into the Sixth Tier, Chen Feng felt a newfound confidence.
He was in Nanjiang.
Even if it's the Evil God Cult, what can they do?
Boom!!
That night, Qinggang City was shrouded in mist.
The Holy Shield Colossus struck again, its fist shattering a charging Sixth-Tier Horned Crocodile on the spot.
The crocodile's head exploded, leaving a gaping hole in its massive, scaled body.
Splattered flesh rained down like droplets, while a storm of shockwaves swept outward.
Black Tide Creatures swarming the Martial Hall were knocked back by the blast, some of the weaker ones even dying instantly.
Roar!!
But soon, a mutated Giant Lizard appeared in the distance.
Whoosh!!!
A dark, meter-thick breath shot forth like a beam of light, crossing a hundred meters to pierce the Martial Hall's walls.
At that critical moment,
Boom!!
A pair of white-gray stone wings, shimmering with golden veins, rose like an unyielding wall, intercepting the devastating breath attack.
As if perfectly coordinated, the Sixth-Tier Griffon in midair ignored the threat of death and charged again, while countless Black Tide Creatures surrounded the Martial Hall.
Everything was crystal clear in Chen Feng's Perception. Standing on the second floor of the Martial Hall, he narrowed his eyes, as if he could see through layers of space to the dense black mist beyond the city walls.
Countless Black Tide Creatures poured through the gap in the high wall. The 6th-tier creature that had been killed earlier resurrected.
The Crimson Moon hanging in the sky radiated an eerie aura, its moonlight seeming eternal.
Boom!
In the next instant, the Heavenly Pillar's Roaring Fist erupted, golden light piercing the heavens.
The Black Tide, like a swarm of locusts, was torn open, leaving a massive gap.
Seeing this, Chen Feng knew there was no time to waste. Suppressing his myriad speculations, he reached out and grasped the silver-blue Light Orb before him.
[You have obtained a special skill Light Orb: Thunderous Roar!]
[Choice 1: Dedicated. Can be used to enhance Thunderclap Stream-related skills, doubling their effectiveness—far surpassing ordinary Limit Breaking Orbs!]
[Choice 2:]
The moment he touched it, a flurry of system notifications flooded his vision.
This was the third type of skill Light Orb he had encountered, after Extreme Martial Arts and Golden Profound. It originated from the Thunderclap Sect, one of the three great sects of Qinggang City.
Its effect was similar to the previous two: when used to enhance a True Art of the Thunderclap Stream, its effectiveness would double.
Buzz!
In the next instant, before Chen Feng could finish reading all the notifications, the world before him shifted. New memories flooded his mind.
Joining the Martial Hall, rising to prominence...
Bone Refining, Organ Refining, Force Cultivation, until True Intent.
Images flashed before Chen Feng's eyes, and he memorized several True Intent Martial Arts.
Finally, the image solidified.
"The Thunderclap Sect has stood firm in Qinggang City, its legacy unbroken, its position at the top secured by a single principle."
"Strength! Speed! Ruthlessness!"
On the Martial Hall's training ground, a middle-aged instructor in a thunder-blue robe stood sternly, his voice resonating with authority.
The man whose memories remained, along with a dozen other disciples in silver robes adorned with blue lightning patterns, stood below, listening intently to the instructor's lecture.
"Strength comes from our fists being hard enough!"
"Speed comes from our unparalleled agility!"
"Ruthlessness isn't just for our enemies; it's for ourselves as well!"
The middle-aged instructor on the platform exuded a powerful aura, revealing him to be a Pinnacle Realm Master.
As he spoke, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, as if electricity crackled in the air around him.
After delivering a dozen sentences of instruction and surveying the crowd, he finally turned to the main topic.
"You are all the finest seedlings the Thunderclap Stream has carefully selected. I've gathered you here today for one purpose only."
"To transmit the martial arts, to impart the Dao!"
His voice deepened, and a sudden surge of energy erupted from his body.
Buzz!!
Lightning seemed to dance around him before he vanished from his spot.
The younger disciples below gasped in surprise, followed by a thunderous roar.
"Instructor?"
One disciple stared wide-eyed at the middle-aged instructor who had suddenly appeared before him.
The instructor grinned, his body flashing rapidly, leaving behind over a dozen afterimages. In a single breath, he materialized before more than a dozen disciples.
"Thunderclap Art!"
"The Thunderclap Stream's supreme body-movement martial art—even across the entire alliance, it's top-tier!"
The instructor continued, instantly reappearing on the stage.
Faint thunder rumbled a moment later, revealing arcs of lightning flickering across his body.
"Using the Force of lightning as a guide, stimulate every muscle, tendon, and bone in your body..."
"There are three levels: Thunderous Roar, Thunderlight, and Thunderflash."
"Thunderous Roar: Move like thunder, roaring through all things. Thunderflash: At minor mastery, you're like lightning; at major mastery, you're like light."
He revealed the secrets of the first two levels, prompting someone to ask curiously, "Instructor, what about Thunderflash?"
The instructor chuckled proudly, offering only a simple reply: "Heh heh."
"Truly the world's fastest!"
Buzz!!
The image shattered, leaving Chen Feng standing in place, momentarily dazed.
"The Thunderclap Art?"
One of the High Wall Alliance's top True Arts, specializing in movement techniques.
Even though he had only obtained the first two levels of its essence, Chen Feng's eyes gleamed, feeling this trip had been worthwhile.
Movement techniques and speed had always been his weakness in Martial arts. Previously, he had relied solely on the Azure Armor and the explosive power of his Physical Body to barely compensate for this deficiency.
He had considered improving this aspect before, even witnessing numerous sect True Intent Martial Arts.
However, either their level was too low, or they had only a moderate effect on him, making them unworthy of his attention.
But now...
"Thunderous Roar, Lightning Flash, Thunderclap."
Recalling the image he had just seen, the Thunderclap Sect instructor demonstrating the essence and effects of the art.
Even at the first level, Thunderous Roar could stimulate the Physical Body, explosively increasing speed by forty to fifty percent in a short time.
As for the later Lightning Flash stage, minor mastery was like lightning, major mastery like light—doubling the effect directly.
"The faster my speed, the greater the impact of my power."
"In other words, the stronger my Physical Body, the greater the destructive power of the Thunderclap Art."
The thought flashed through Chen Feng's mind as he glanced at the two remaining Thunderclap Orbs.
Without hesitation, he swiftly absorbed them.
New memories flooded in, but he paid them little attention.
Just as he was about to absorb the remaining Limit Breaking Orbs, a deafening boom erupted.
The Martial Hall walls exploded, and several mutated creatures charged in.
Some were Bone Eagles, others Hellhounds.
With his Perception amplified, Chen Feng instantly saw the Holy Shield Colossus surrounded by countless Black Tide creatures in the ruins above, including several 6th-tier creatures that had revived.
This had temporarily pinned it down, preventing it from approaching.
"What a nuisance."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dark Flash Burst erupted, instantly obliterating all nearby creatures.
Splattered, eerie green blood stained the ruins, causing the Martial Hall to collapse. The Training Hall, previously enclosed, was now completely exposed to the open air.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Chen Feng's Perception twitched.
A page of white paper drifted down from the misty sky, covered in tadpole-like High Wall Alliance script.
Swish!
Golden Steel Bones instantly sprouted, absorbing the paper and settling into Chen Feng's palm.
In a flash, the words on the page entered his vision, and he saw the familiar handwriting once more.
Alliance Year 247, September 13th
The Calamity Secret Realm is truly strange. Its world rules seem to inherently restrict martial arts and Extraordinary Ones. None of the natives can awaken their talents or break through martial arts to the Extraordinary level.
Is it because of the Calamity Evil God? And the constant warfare—could it be influenced by the so-called calamity power?
Alliance Year 247, December 7th
I think I've glimpsed a glimmer of hope.
If only we could use the Calamity Secret Realm's technological warships in Qinggang City... but alas, it's probably too late.
Alliance Year 248, February 5th
Shirley wants to return to the Dead Crow Secret Realm, but Alonco says the Holy Sword is crucial to him.
I can't favor either side. I'll just flip a coin. Heads, we go to the Dead Crow Secret Realm; tails, we go to the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm.
The text abruptly ended. Chen Feng withdrew his gaze, lost in thought.
He remembered Adams from the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm mentioning that Alonco had helped them repel the invading Serpent Spirit Angels a century ago.
In other words, the High Wall Alliance, where Qinggang City was located, might already be a relic of the past, a century gone.
"No wonder there are so few detailed records or living witnesses of outsiders in the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm."
"A hundred years... perhaps they've all turned to dust, become history."
With one mystery solved, Chen Feng turned his attention to the mark on his palm.
The tiny crossed battle axes seemed to hold countless civilizations' wars within their intricate lines.
Calamity Secret Realm
He had accumulated enough calamity power, but for various reasons, he hadn't yet ventured there.
If a powerful technological civilization truly existed within...
Then did that mean...
He lowered his gaze to the slowly progressing Steel Bones progress bar on his panel.
New thoughts filled Chen Feng's mind. Just then, a massive wave of non-human creatures surged forward, blotting out the sky in a frenzied assault.
(End of the Chapter)
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