Translator: CinderTL
Buzz!!
Over ten minutes later, a shockwave erupted as the Flying Car sped away.
The Military aircraft briefly hovered in the sky above the outskirts, not far from the Flame Tiger Sect. Watching Whale Sect Grandmaster and the others depart, the woman in the white Martial Arts Uniform shook her head.
"Whale Sect Grandmaster... truly greedy."
He refused to join the Saint Sect yet still wanted to practice the New Martial Arts Method.
Where in the world could he find such a deal?
"He's just testing our attitude," Zhou Wuren, standing beside her, considered more deeply. His brow furrowed in thought. "Though the Southern Martial World hasn't been completely unified, as long as Grandmaster Chen remains, no one will dare to act recklessly."
"Whale Sect Grandmaster is trying to see if he can obtain the method through other means, or perhaps..."
"He's putting on a show for Grandmaster Chen," Old Leader Zhang said, his voice calm.
The woman in the white Martial Arts Uniform paused, slightly startled.
Putting on a show for him?
"Indeed," Old Leader Zhang nodded slowly, his gaze distant as he looked down at the green fields of the outskirts. "Grandmaster Chen has already taken a crucial step beyond the Pinnacle Realm at such a young age. Jing Liu and the others are well aware of his strength."
"Considering their past ties, why would they seek something so far away when the best option is right here?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the woman in the white Martial Arts Uniform frowned slightly.
While Flame Tiger Grandmaster's strength was formidable, it was ultimately the power of a single individual.
In contrast, their Saint Sect's New Martial Arts Method could benefit far more people.
"Don't you think the Flame Tiger Sect's True Intent has suddenly gained several new practitioners?"
"And Li Tong—he should have been hopeless as a Grandmaster."
As if reading her thoughts, Old Leader Zhang suddenly spoke.
The woman in the white Martial Arts Uniform paused, then snapped back to reality, finally realizing the truth.
"Master, do you mean..."
"The new wave pushes out the old."
Shaking his head, Old Leader Zhang gazed at the high walls under construction in the distance.
The once ordinary city seemed poised to become a central hub, and his mind drifted back to the moment his flaw had been exposed earlier.
"Perhaps he's found a path similar to the New Martial Arts."
Click.
The door closed, and Chen Feng returned to his courtyard.
It was far enough from the earlier battle that the structure remained largely intact.
During his return, his Perception had witnessed Whale Sect Grandmaster and Old Leader Zhang gradually receding into the distance. He shook his head.
"New Martial Arts... Traditional Martial Arts..."
He understood Whale Sect Grandmaster's thoughts: a longing for a breakthrough, a hope for a stronger method.
Master Li Tong's breakthrough, along with those of several True Disciples, seemed too extraordinary. Coupled with Chen Feng's own strength, which felt like it was on the verge of breaking through human limits, they were bound to suspect he possessed some kind of New Martial Arts Method—a Martial Arts True Skill capable of shattering limitations.
"Perhaps the time is drawing near," Chen Feng mused, his eyes gleaming.
Earth Martial Arts had declined, but the incident in Suojia City and the frequent appearances of the Evil God Cult had changed things. The threat of the Black Tide loomed, like a storm about to break.
He wouldn't mind sharing some True Art Keys and even a few insights into the Method of Transcendence to revitalize the world's martial arts. Of course, this would be based on the Flame Tiger Sect, gradually spreading to other martial arts sects. Otherwise, it might backfire on him.
Previously, his strength hadn't been sufficient to attempt this. But now...
"One step at a time," he decided.
With a plan in mind, Chen Feng sat cross-legged. No matter how he taught, his own strength remained paramount.
He focused his gaze on the several notifications on his panel:
[Azure Armor LV7: 8/100]
[Heart of Glory LV5: 26/100]
Whether it was fear or glory, the nourishment was abundant but lacked quality.
After all, the effects of these two talents had already surpassed the Sixth-Tier level.
Moreover, whether it was an illusion or not, the fear the Sixth-Tier Bat Person provided was less than expected. Even during his self-detonation, he remained cold and indifferent, seemingly unafraid of death.
It wasn't until Chen Feng began to plunder his Life Essence that the Bat Person finally showed intense emotional fluctuations.
"Could it be because he has a way to revive, like other Black Tide Creatures?"
"Or does he have some other method?"
Narrowing his eyes, Chen Feng could clearly feel that the Heart of Life mark within him was now more than half full.
After reaching the Sixth-Tier threshold, this talent had passively strengthened, and its capacity had increased again, enough to absorb the life essence of several more Saints.
However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that some of the Life Essence within was murky and impure, as if contaminated by something.
A faint emerald light was slowly purifying it—the essence power from the Sixth-Tier Bat Person.
"Is he a Black Tide Creature?"
"Or are all members of the Evil God Cult tainted by Divine Power, causing their Life Essence to become like this?"
Recalling the Bat Person's appearance, which closely resembled the Batfolk of Qinggang City, Chen Feng's mind filled with speculation.
He made a mental note of this matter but ultimately suppressed his thoughts and turned his attention back to the other information on the panel.
[Power of the Dead: 1000/100]
The Evil God Power from the Sixth-Tier Bat Person surged into the Mark of the Dead in his hand like a flood.
The original amount had been even greater, once reaching an extremely high level.
But then...
[Dark Dream Mark has been upgraded!]
[Through nourishment and mutation from the abundant Evil God Power, you have gained a new ability for the mark: Black Dream Space!]
[Effect: You can consume a certain amount of Evil God Power to place Secret Realm Items that have undergone Dream Incursion into the Black Dream Space for use in other Dream Realms!]
The notification flashed before his eyes.
The vast Evil God Power had ultimately been absorbed by the Dark Dream Mark.
As a result, Chen Feng could vaguely sense a tiny, invisible space within his mental realm.
He couldn't see it, touch it, or even perceive its existence directly—it seemed to exist in another dimension.
Yet, through the power of the Dark Dream Mark, he was certain that by consuming a sufficient amount of Evil God Power, he could store a certain volume of items within it.
"Does this mean real-world objects won't work?"
Curious to test this, he retrieved items from his room.
But no matter how he tried, he couldn't place them into the Black Dream Space.
"It seems only Secret Realm Items that have undergone Dream Incursion will work."
"Perhaps it's because these Secret Realms are connected to the Evil God's power..."
Thoughts flickered through Chen Feng's mind, and he vaguely sensed he had brushed against some fundamental rule, yet he couldn't quite grasp it.
Without delving too deeply, he began to familiarize himself with the ability's function.
While he couldn't store items from the real world, being able to store items from Secret Realms would still be useful.
After all, every time he entered a Secret Realm world, he had been unable to take anything with him. Every time he left, the items would simply vanish.
This had put him in a passive position, forcing him to prepare hiding places or assign people to guard the items, making them vulnerable to accidents.
Now, things were undoubtedly much more convenient.
Moreover, the last half of the prompt sparked a new idea.
The Black Dream Space can be opened in other Dream Realms to use stored items.
If he could bring the unique Extraordinary Artifacts from the Dead Crow Secret Realm to the Serpent Spirit World, could they help the Holy City increase its chances of winning the war?
And what about the Holy Sword? If he could bring it to Qinggang City and use it, would there be a chance to break through the black fog surrounding the city and completely eradicate the Black Tide creatures?
One thought after another surfaced. He decided to enter the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm tonight to fulfill his agreement with the Holy City.
Adams had promised him a strand of the Holy Sword's power, which he could use to test his theory.
Buzz!
In the next moment, a tremor ran through the Soul Flame of their mental link. He faintly heard Gata's call.
"Hmm?"
Frowning slightly, Chen Feng immediately activated his Perception.
He saw the shared image Gata had sent.
Splash!
Waves churned, and several seagulls flew in panic across the azure sea.
A cannonball exploded in the water, sending a column of water skyward. Several multi-masted sailing ships were blasted with gaping holes, gradually sinking beneath the waves as they burned.
"Aaaah!!"
"Help!!"
Screams pierced the air from the decks, the cries of sailors and soldiers engulfed in flames.
Some clung to shattered planks, frantically paddling through the water, desperate to escape. But they were soon consumed by another barrage of cannon fire.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The cannons roared incessantly, while over a dozen Sequencers clashed at sea.
Some conjured frost, freezing patches of water. Others summoned storms or hurled fireballs, causing widespread death and injury.
This scene unfolded repeatedly around Hurricane Island, drawing the attention of many on the island. Some watched with worry, others sighed and shook their heads.
The reason for their concern was the striking flags of the warring fleets: one resembled a vibrant tulip flower, the other a purple steel crystal.
"They've really gone to war."
"The navies of the Tulip Kingdom and the Steel Kingdom are actually fighting!"
"I saw it coming long ago. Their fleet's landing on the island last time was already suspicious."
"Huh? How did you figure that out?"
"Do I even need to? The Tulip Kingdom has always wanted to take Hurricane Island, but they didn't dare to act before because of the alliance between the Hurricane Lord and the Red Dragon Family. Now..."
Murmurs spread through the island. Lei Long and Tulin watched the naval battle on the sea with grave expressions, witnessing the fierce fighting that had been raging for a long time.
Both kingdoms' navies had suffered losses, but the Steel Kingdom ultimately held the upper hand, leveraging its years of dominance in the region.
Corpses sank into the depths, briefly staining the surrounding waters crimson.
The sky hung heavy and oppressive, as if a storm was brewing.
"Lord Lei Long, should we leave Hurricane Island?" Tulin asked anxiously. It was clear to anyone with eyes that the island had become a battleground. Both kingdoms sought control, and this bloody war was only the beginning.
"Perhaps we should report this to Master," Lei Long sighed. He had barely managed to establish a foothold here, infiltrating some of the fleet circles. He had also made progress on the Noble Master had instructed him to monitor, and was preparing to act and rescue the Mermaid.
If they left now...
He looked out at the battlefield being cleared and the coastline being patrolled by the Kingdom Navy. His heart grew heavier. He knew that even if he wanted to leave, it wouldn't be easy.
Suddenly, the two stopped talking. They quickly donned black cloaks, melted into the crowd, and headed straight for the desolate forest on the north shore.
Soldiers patrolled nearby, but no one noticed how Lei Long had managed to slip past them.
Until the very end.
In an unnoticed corner, a small black vial was swept by the wind and tumbled into the sea.
It sank steadily, its weight increased by the sand and pebbles mixed within, until it settled on the seabed.
Most of the nearby fish scattered in fright, while a few curious ones cautiously approached through the seaweed.
Gurgle.
In the next moment, two terrifying, luminous blue eyes suddenly appeared. Every creature in the vicinity fled in terror.
Thick tentacles, like coiling pythons, shot forward and quickly crushed the black vial, retrieving two items hidden beneath the sand and pebbles.
A gold coin that would make anyone cheer with joy.
And a report letter.
"The Saint of the Red Dragon Family has departed."
"And the Hurricane Lord... hasn't appeared at all?"
Through the Soul Flame, Chen Feng saw the memories and images Gata had sent. He frowned slightly, sensing something was amiss.
He was certain the Hurricane Lord was still alive—it was his intuition.
And the Red Dragon Family, as a noble house with deep roots in the empire, wouldn't retreat so easily. It wasn't their style.
The war between the two kingdoms had erupted with shocking suddenness, leaving no room for negotiation.
After a moment's thought, he immediately instructed Gata to relay a message to Lei Long and the others, urging them to act according to circumstances.
If Hurricane Island became truly untenable, they could seek refuge in the area near Merman Bay to avoid the conflict.
He believed Elder Delia would readily accept them, especially with Gata's presence to deter any resistance.
His Soul Flame flickered faintly. He then turned his gaze to the darkening sky outside.
Dusk had arrived. The sect's clamor had largely subsided, as most of those who had attended the celebration gradually departed.
He didn't need to worry much about communicating with the Military or repairing the Mountain Gate; the True Disciples would handle those matters.
Instead, he was more concerned about the words Han Chao had spoken earlier.
The journey to Niduo was imminent, and even Yang Wudi had seemingly fallen there.
Therefore...
He summoned someone, instructed them not to disturb him, and announced his intention to enter closed cultivation for several days.
Then, he gazed at the Serpent Spirit Mark on his palm and made his decision.
No matter what, he would push himself to the absolute limit on this journey!
(End of the Chapter)
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