Translator: CinderTL
Boom!
An earth-shattering roar reverberated across the heavens, sending tremors through the hearts of everyone in Niduo Kingdom's Capital.
The void rift, which had been on the verge of collapsing, suddenly expanded violently, stretching dozens of meters further.
Moreover...
Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!
An ear-piercing grinding sound echoed as the rift's edges deepened, wisps of black mist seeping through the fissures.
Beyond the rift lay a dark, fathomless abyss. Within its depths, the scales and claws of some colossal entity could be vaguely discerned as they assaulted the dimensional barrier, seeking to cross over.
Chen Feng's expression turned grave. He distinctly sensed an overwhelming malice surging through the rift, as if the creature had locked onto him as its target.
Buzz!
In an instant...
The world plunged into darkness, enveloped by a thick fog.
The Blood Moon blossomed in the sky, and a massive, winged creature emerged from the black mist, towering over him with malevolent eyes.
Its bat-like wings spanned well over a hundred meters, casting an oppressive shadow.
A serpentine tail hissed and flicked its forked tongue, while rows of jagged fangs gleamed ominously in its maw.
The creature's fur-covered, wolfish body stood nearly a hundred meters tall, supported by slender limbs tipped with massive talons as large and sharp as those of a Flying Eagle.
A crushing pressure, like a relentless tidal wave, washed over him.
The ground cracked and splintered beneath his feet as his heart hammered in his ears, his veins straining as if they would burst.
Chen Feng realized with dread that he was completely immobilized, trapped by the overwhelming pressure.
Moreover,
The black mist before him continued to coalesce, swirling like countless tendrils.
Finally, it solidified into a pitch-black mask.
"This is..."
Chen Feng's gaze sharpened as he recognized the mask with growing dread.
It was identical to the one worn by the Divine Martial Alliance Leader—the very mask he had personally destroyed.
Buzz!
In the next instant,
As a colossal entity in the sky cast a malevolent gaze downward, the black mist transformed into tendrils, propelling the mask toward him.
His skin burned, and a chilling dread gripped his heart.
Chen Feng suddenly understood Chu Dingkun's fate.
He also grasped why Li Chenye had warned him about the Evil God before his annihilation.
Thump!!
The world resonated with power as his heart pounded like a war drum.
His strengthened spiritual will, now amplified by the World Force, summoned the celestial meteor's fist to descend from the heavens.
Boom!
Burning Sacred Flame engulfed the sky as the colossal wolf-bat creature was struck by the Falling Sun.
The deafening explosion shattered the illusions of the Mental World.
The azure sky returned. Chen Feng's vision flickered, and he once again saw the riddled Niduo Kingdom's Capital and the void crisscrossed with fissures.
Beside him, Yang Wudi and the others remained on high alert, cold sweat beading on their faces.
It seemed Chen Feng alone had experienced the Mental Shock. Then, something strange happened to the cracks in the void.
Hum!
The colossal, shadowy creature that had been lurking there suddenly retracted its claws and scales, vanishing without a trace.
Strands of black mist receded like an ebbing tide.
The void fissures, which had been on the verge of tearing open completely, abruptly stopped expanding and began to heal at an astonishing rate.
"What...?" Han Chao and the others murmured in bewilderment. The Niduo Military personnel exchanged bewildered glances, their grips tightening on their firearms and their fingers poised over weapon controls.
"Did it... retreat?"
"Is it really over?"
They looked at each other, their eyes still clouded with doubt and apprehension, fearing a sudden counterattack from the Black Tide.
Only after the cracks had completely sealed, leaving no trace of the anomaly, and minutes of eerie silence had stretched on, did their vigilance begin to wane.
Yang Wudi and the others finally breathed a tentative sigh of relief.
"Perhaps it's truly receded," one of them ventured.
Despite these words, Eleanor and the others remained vigilant. After a quick reassessment, all surrounding military forces maintained full alert and combat readiness. Additional troops and heavy weaponry were swiftly deployed to the area.
"This Black Tide came so suddenly," someone remarked. "The last one in Suojia City was caused by a Secret Realm Node. There shouldn't be any corresponding Energy Nodes here."
Han Chao and the other experts in the international exchange group, survivors of the ordeal, frowned in perplexity as they discussed the matter. Some even volunteered to assist the Niduo Military in setting up equipment to test the space for any residual spatial energy anomalies.
"What's your take on this?" Yang Wudi whispered to Chen Feng, the person in the group who had the deepest personal connection to the events. Both had witnessed the mist and bizarre creatures up close during the Suojia City Black Tide incident, fighting on the front lines.
"Perhaps it's related to Chu Dingkun breaking through his limits," Chen Feng replied grimly, a chilling suspicion forming in his mind. He was almost certain he was the only one who had experienced the Mental Shock. Moreover, based on what had just transpired, the massive, grotesque bat-wolf creature seemed to have been attempting to control him through the mask.
A chill ran through Chen Feng as he realized Chu Dingkun's so-called "breaking of limits" was far more complex than he had initially imagined. Could it be that Chu Dingkun's blood sacrifice breakthrough had been carried out under the watchful eyes of an Evil God and the Black Tide?
No one could answer. Throughout the Niduo Kingdom's Capital, there was only the lingering relief of survival and the ever-present fear of unexploded ordnance.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
More and more Niduo Fighters and military personnel arrived on the scene. Princess Eleanor, having finally suppressed her inner fragility, stepped forward alongside General Walker to coordinate the troops.
"The royal capital is facing an unprecedented crisis," she announced. "While the death of Uncle Wang is deeply painful, addressing this disaster is our immediate priority."
After delivering this reassuring speech, Chen Feng surveyed the surrounding districts of the royal capital. The roads were shattered, buildings collapsed, and broken streetlights and severed cables littered the ground, occasionally spitting sparks. Most of this destruction had been caused by his battle with Chu Dingkun, a mess the Royal Family would have to clean up.
Moreover, Chen Feng sensed that the Niduo Kingdom's Capital itself was no longer safe, possibly serving as an anchor point for the Black Tide. Evacuating the population might be the best course of action, but he doubted everyone would agree.
The future of this city hung in the balance—whether it would be rebuilt to its former glory or crumble further into devastation.
"I've already reported back to headquarters. They want us to leave the royal capital as soon as possible," Han Chao whispered, stepping closer. "Regarding the Black Tide, they've dispatched another team to investigate. The Red Guard will be cooperating with the Niduo Royal Family on this."
Han Chao had reported the situation the moment Chen Feng stormed the Royal Palace. Now, the Black Tide's sudden appearance and disappearance marked a new development.
"Understood," Chen Feng nodded, unsurprised. With the Black Tide involved, this was no longer a matter of personal gain or loss. Whether for the sake of the innocent civilians here or to prevent similar disasters in their own territories, cooperation was mutually beneficial.
The group immediately began discussing their next steps. During their deliberations, representatives from the Niduo Military approached to coordinate.
The room filled with the clamor of voices.
Suddenly, Chen Feng's Perception flared. He sensed an anomaly in his mental link.
Whoosh!
A chaotic darkness descended, as if the link had breached the fabric of reality.
Rolling black mists surged like a tidal wave, engulfing everything.
A colossal wolf-bat creature with crimson eyes and twin wings dominated the scene. Each flap of its leathery wings unleashed violent gusts of wind.
Dark purple veins bulged beneath its furred, blood-soaked flesh, giving it the appearance of a grotesque monstrosity resurrected from hell.
Below it, countless inhuman figures swarmed like an endless locust plague.
Ahead of them, a thick, white barrier resembling a crystalline wall blocked their path. Cracks within the barrier rapidly sealed themselves, while a massive black hexagram imprinted on its surface swiftly faded.
As if acknowledging defeat, the colossal wolf-bat creature unleashed a furious roar.
ROAR!
The earth-shattering sound reverberated through the Nether Sea, stirring the inky mist into tumultuous waves. In the depths behind the mist, several pairs of enormous crimson eyes flickered open.
"It failed."
"That human seemed... unusual."
"No matter. They're merely Fire Seeds left by Ancient Taiduo. Let them cling to life a little longer."
A chaotic voice echoed through the churning Sea of Mist.
Finally, everything vanished, leaving only an endless expanse of pitch-blackness.
Whoosh!
That same day, the so-called international academic exchange conference abruptly concluded. Aircraft departed, but some remained behind. Three experts and scholars, led by Dean Qin, volunteered to stay and collaborate with the Niduo Royal Family in researching the Black Tide phenomena.
Their motives were twofold: genuine academic curiosity and a patriotic desire as scholars of the Red Nation. If the Red Nation were to face a similar crisis in the future, having more research data might help them devise more effective countermeasures.
Han Chao and the others naturally admired Grandmaster Chen's decision.
"I never expected Grandmaster Chen would agree to stay," Dean Qin remarked, his face filled with gratitude.
Having a martial artist of Grandmaster Chen's caliber, comparable to the legendary Flying General, serving as their security personnel significantly boosted their confidence and sense of safety.
Chen Feng maintained a calm demeanor, though inwardly he felt a touch of resignation. It wasn't that he didn't want to leave, but rather that he couldn't, at least not yet. The Holy Shield Colossus's transformation had reached a critical stage and was nearing completion. As its mental link practitioner, he couldn't afford to distance himself from it at such a crucial moment.
As for the potential dangers, even if the Black Tide seemed to have temporarily subsided, his current strength, combined with the protection of his Azure Armor, was more than enough to handle most crises.
"In that case, Yang and I will stay too," Celine said, winking at Yang Wudi beside her. Yang Wudi, cigarette clenched between his teeth, nodded silently, offering no resistance.
Sensing their intentions, Old Leader Zhang hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat. "This old man has nothing pressing back home. I might as well stay a few more days."
With those words, the three Pinnacle Realm Martial Artists exchanged knowing glances, tacitly agreeing not to expose each other's true motives.
Han Chao, standing nearby, chuckled helplessly. He knew they wanted to ask Chen Feng about breaking through their limits and dared not leave his side.
In the end, after further persuasion, everyone decided to stay for the time being. Chen Feng shook his head but said nothing more.
Under the Royal Family's arrangements, the group was temporarily housed in the nearby Royal Palace.
As they ascended the tiers of white jade steps, the grand and solemn palace gates swung wide open. Inside lay pavilions nestled amidst ponds, artificial mountains crowned with gazebos, and layers of gray stone bricks stretching as far as the eye could see. Rare and precious trees and flowers adorned the grounds, with armed soldiers stationed every ten paces and cyborg patrols adding to the fortress-like atmosphere, reminiscent of the ancient imperial palaces of the Red Nation.
"This place is truly magnificent," Xu Tingxiao murmured in awe, gazing around. It was his first time staying in such opulence.
"All thanks to Brother Chen," Zhou Wuren teased. "Without his little 'incident' at Niduo Academy, we'd never have had this opportunity."
The palace officials and military escorts, overhearing the remark, blinked in surprise. After guiding the group to their designated palace quarters, they repeatedly warned them against any fighting.
Click!
Finally, the chamber door clicked shut.
Chen Feng glanced around the opulent room, noting the lavish furnishings crafted from rare and valuable hardwoods. The jade-carved cups, gold-embroidered bedding filled with luxurious down, and other extravagant details were clear evidence of the Niduo Royal Family's opulent lifestyle, but he paid it little mind.
Only after confirming with his Perception that there were no hidden traps or surveillance devices did his gaze sharpen, focusing on the transparent panel floating before him:
[Steel Bones, Azure Armor, Heart of Glory.]
Progress bars for his evolving talents filled his vision, promising a substantial reward.
(End of the Chapter)
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