Translator: CinderTL
Splash!
Splash!!
The seawater churned, waves crashing in rhythmic surges.
The collapsed seabed was riddled with fissures, seawater pouring in with relentless force.
A storm raged across the ocean, while high above, the sun's heat evaporated the moisture, transforming it into billowing white mist.
"He escaped," a deep, cold voice echoed from within the heavenly shieldbearer. The colossal, black-and-gold giant hovered in mid-air, its presence radiating a sinister aura.
Following its gaze, the surging waves revealed the healing of space.
The pyramid-shaped world ark had vanished, along with its passenger and statue, having warped away.
A brief silence hung in the air as the giant surveyed the distant Red Nation warships, their energy gathering for another confrontation.
The sacred sun still hung high in the sky, seemingly suppressing all unrest.
Yet upon closer inspection, Helios's expression was grim, a faint trace of blood evaporating from the corner of his mouth.
He had never imagined that a moment's carelessness could nearly lead to his downfall.
That mere Angel-tier descendant from the Red Nation had unleashed a strike comparable to the divine, wounding him.
"Rest assured," He said, shaking His head in a daze, suppressing His thoughts.
"Though the Red Nation Fleet blocked the initial burst of divine light, the explosive energy shock was sufficient to destabilize some space nodes."
"They may not make it back to the Red Nation alive."
The cold words reached the ears of the black-clad man within the Heavenly Shieldbearer. His gaze flickered slightly before he nodded in agreement.
Space travel was never without risks.
Whether it was spatial turbulence or void storms, both were catastrophic. In the past, the Star Ring Device had maintained stable warp channels, mitigating these dangers.
But now, with the space nodes destabilized, warp jumps would be unstable, anchor points uncertain, and warp channels destroyed.
Naturally...
Clang!!
The resonant clang of a sword echoed through the air. He Mulan, having also detected the anomaly, narrowed her phoenix eyes, a cold glint flashing within.
"As a divine being, you tolerate angels wreaking havoc, harming the innocent, and persecuting meritorious subjects."
The colossal golden-glazed deity erupted with divine light, its invisible blade slashing across the sky vault, cleaving the world asunder.
"If he fails to return safely to the Red Nation,"
"Then your federation will never know peace!"
Boom!!
The warship fired, its crimson banner snapping in the wind.
Its crazed, stubborn, and aggressive stance tore through the sky, revealing sword light that had shattered the heavens and earth, hurtling straight toward the sun!
Boom!!
An immeasurable amount of time passed.
A thunderous roar echoed across the azure sky.
Above the Rift Canyon, space twisted and storms raged.
Within the flickering blue magnetic arcs, a colossal, pyramid-shaped beast emerged.
Boom boom boom boom boom!!
The storm's aftershocks, like lightning, tore through the earth.
Rocks shattered, and soil exploded.
The Force Field light shield, over a kilometer in diameter, completely collapsed, dissolving into streaks of blue arcs.
The exposed alloy hull was battered, riddled with molten, charred craters and jagged tears, nearly breached.
It looked as if it had endured a baptism of fire or had been forcibly dragged through a void storm, exuding an inexplicable aura of ancient savagery.
Boom!!
Finally, the pyramid-shaped metal behemoth plummeted, crashing into the canyon floor.
Mountains trembled, and rock strata shuddered.
Amidst the billowing dust clouds, flocks of birds and beasts scattered in terror.
Insects and ants larger than adult men crawled across the earth, while strange beasts the size of ordinary cars soared through the air.
The panicked creatures fled, kicking up billowing dust clouds and filling the air with their roars.
"Cough, cough..."
Chen Feng coughed weakly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Using his Perception Talent, he managed to glimpse the outside world.
A brown, furrowed landscape stretched before him, a region of deep canyons.
In the distance, rolling mountains and dense forests lined the horizon.
"Where are we?"
Supporting himself against the scorched, melted alloy of his cockpit, he staggered to his feet.
His black trench coat was torn, and even his flesh, tougher than rainbow iron, was covered in wounds.
"This doesn't seem to be the Radiant Light Secret Realm."
The Star Spirit materialized swiftly, taking the form of a small, ethereal girl.
"Those beasts are enormous, like branches of Ancient Creatures. Neither Earth's real space nor the fully developed Radiant Light Secret Realm contain anything like them."
"During our departure, we were struck by a powerful energy surge."
"Several space nodes were altered or destroyed, forcing us to change our warp trajectory. We were also caught in a void storm."
Her voice trembled with lingering fear as she recalled their escape from the federation.
The Windrider had nearly been destroyed by the Sun King, but was saved at the last moment by reinforcements from the Red Kingdom Military.
After finally managing to warp, they encountered further complications and were forced into a spatial turbulence.
Had the Windrider not had some energy remaining to activate its shields, they would have been annihilated by the spatial storm.
And now...
"We need new scans to assess our exact environment," Star Spirit said.
"It's highly likely the spatial storm dragged us into an unknown region. We could be on Earth, in a Secret Realm Space, or even another world entirely."
"The critical issue is that the Windrider's energy is almost depleted, and it's severely damaged. We won't be able to warp again anytime soon, and our defensive and Armament Modules are also heavily damaged."
Star Spirit immediately relayed all the details, then looked at Chen Feng with concern.
Wisps of white steam rose from his body, and the veins on his arms still bulged, glowing crimson.
These were lingering aftereffects of the intense heat and light.
His right arm, in particular, had vaporized completely at the shoulder, leaving an empty void.
"Your injury..." Star Spirit said, her voice tinged with self-reproach. She felt that her exposure had driven the Sun King to such ruthless measures, determined to enslave them without mercy.
If not for this, Chen Feng and the Holy Shield Colossus wouldn't have been forced into such a passive position, even suffering severe injuries.
"We are friends," Chen Feng said, shaking his head gravely, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
After spending so many days together, sharing life-and-death experiences, he had unconsciously come to regard the Star Spirit as a friend. Naturally, he couldn't allow the federation to seize the ark and enslave its intelligent sub-entity.
Moreover...
"I won't swallow this insult."
He knew he had been targeted by the platinum five-star from the start, used as bait in their scheme. Even without the Windrider incident, he would have intervened, if only to personally kill those three angels.
And now...
This debt...
"Cough, cough..."
His thoughts were interrupted by another fit of coughing. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, evaporating almost instantly.
Residual light and heat still lingered within his body, suppressing the Heart of Life and hindering its ability to fully heal his wounds.
Glancing over, he saw the Holy Shield Colossus in a similar state. Only half its body remained, the Primordial Sea of its spiritual world scorched nearly to nothing, its healing capabilities suppressed by the lingering light and heat.
The once-brilliant platinum rock body was now covered in blackened, melted scars, clearly struggling to repair itself.
"This debt... will be repaid!"
Resuming his earlier train of thought, Chen Feng steadied himself, his eyes burning with bone-chilling killing intent.
He knew exactly how this had come to pass, his mind etched with the divine figures of the Sun King and the heavenly shieldbearer.
He wouldn't spare even those affiliated with the Federation.
With his resolve solidified, Chen Feng cleared his mind of all distractions.
His immediate priority was to heal his injuries, assess his surroundings, and find a way back to the Red Nation.
In an instant, his thoughts crystallized.
He sensed the unique mark within his heart—the Angel Heroic Spirit from Qinggang City's Dream World.
His final trump card remained. Chen Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
Without hesitation, he summoned it.
Buzz!
A ripple of invisible energy spread outward, and two figures materialized before him.
A towering man nearly three meters tall, with bronze skin and long brown hair, stood as the Envoy Rank Extraordinary One, Pandor.
Beside him stood Yan Changkong, a Martial Artist who had reached the fifth stage of Transcendence. Clad in white robes, his silver hair framed a face that held a silver Ancient Martial Arts longsword.
"Lord!"
Their faces etched with shock and disbelief, Pandor and Yan Changkong barely registered their surroundings before their eyes fell upon Chen Feng's grievous wounds.
Their minds reeled, pupils contracting.
They had never imagined that someone as formidable as him could suffer such devastating injuries.
"I'll explain later," Chen Feng said, his voice grim.
"You two, go scout the perimeter and gather intelligence," Chen Feng ordered, his voice deep and resolute, cutting off their questions and concern with a shake of his head.
He and the Holy Shield Colossus urgently needed to heal their wounds and recover their strength.
But the Windrider's energy reserves were nearly depleted, making it difficult to maintain defensive barriers or conduct reconnaissance.
Therefore, it was essential to have guards patrolling the area to prepare for any contingencies.
This would also allow them to assess the surrounding environment, confirm their current coordinates, and ensure they were safely distant from the Federation.
"Understood!"
Pandor and the other Heroic Spirit nodded solemnly and departed without further questions, though their faces betrayed their lingering doubts.
"Aren't you afraid they'll betray you?" the Star Spirit materialized beside Chen Feng, her luminous form flickering with concern. She didn't know the true origins of these Angel Heroic Spirits and worried that Chen Feng's severe injuries might tempt his subordinates to harbor treacherous thoughts.
Chen Feng shook his head, understanding her concern.
Ordinary people might indeed fear betrayal.
However, he possessed a privilege granted by the Heroic Spirit Hall: the power to control the life and death of these spirits. Betrayal was simply not a possibility.
Without further explanation, he turned to the Holy Shield Colossus, his loyal companion. The Colossus's massive rock body was battered and scarred, reduced to barely half its original form.
"Thank you for your hard work, old friend," Chen Feng said in a deep voice. Unlike the Angel Heroic Spirits, the Holy Shield Colossus held a special place in his heart.
The two had journeyed together from humble beginnings to their current heights, their life-and-death experiences defying description.
This time, had the Colossus not disregarded all consequences and withstood half the power of the endless light and heat, Chen Feng might have suffered even greater injuries, or even death.
"Mo!"
As if in response, the Holy Shield Colossus's voice resonated with heavy force.
Without further delay, at Chen Feng's signal, the Colossus shrank rapidly, transforming into a dull platinum light that shot toward the rocky earth outside the ark.
Though the residual light and heat suppressed its Origin, the Colossus could draw upon the Earth Vein Power to heal and recover.
Similarly, as the cold glint in his eyes gradually faded, Chen Feng quietly instructed the Star Spirit before settling into a cross-legged meditation posture.
He fully activated the Heart of Life's talent, drawing upon the vast Origin of the three angel primals stored within.
Though corrupted by evil and difficult to purify, with time, he could eventually convert it for his own use, transforming it into the perfect nourishment to dispel the lingering light and heat and restore his injuries.
Buzz!
In an instant, his mind focused, and he poured all his energy into the task.
Emerald light flickered from within him, radiating outward in a circular halo.
The purest life origin surged forth, frantically purifying the angel origin.
Time flowed onward.
The lingering heat and light gradually dissipated, while his battered flesh and blood began to heal inch by inch.
Meanwhile, news from the federation slowly trickled back to the Red Nation.
Days later, Earth trembled.
The Niduo Country lowered its flags to half-mast, and Princess Eleanor, the Royal Family's leader, remained sleepless for days.
The Suro Nation's Martial Arts World fell silent, and the entire Red Nation was plunged into unspeakable grief.
"How could this happen?!"
On the rooftop of Tian Hao Security's headquarters, Lin Hao stared at the latest news on his communicator, his face pale. He swayed, nearly losing his balance.
Conflict had erupted between the federation and the Red Kingdom Military in the great ocean, resulting in a fleet clash!
The strongest martial artist had vanished, presumed dead?
The news had already spread across Earth, but he initially refused to believe it.
Now, no matter how he investigated, the result remained the same.
The man had truly vanished without a trace. As of now, there had been no activity from the Radiant Light Secret Realm or any other region of the Red Nation.
Life and death were unpredictable, and his whereabouts remained unknown.
On one side, Liu Bo's face darkened, while Yuan Yueshan and the other familiar Cyborgs shook their heads with sighs.
Meanwhile, in another building, the Black Crystal Group was unusually quiet. The Nanjiang City Council members wore complex expressions, their emotions shifting rapidly.
"How could he have suffered such severe injuries?" Meng Anran stood by the window, struggling to accept the news.
The other City Council members initially dismissed it as a rumor.
Regardless of their past relationships with Chen Feng, learning that he had been harmed by the federation and his fate remained uncertain left most with an indescribable bitterness.
This was especially true for the Flame Tiger Sect.
Sect Leader Li Tong had remained secluded in his chambers for days. Xu Tingxiao, Zhao Jushan, and the other True Disciples and sect members wore somber expressions, their spirits low.
Chen Yun, who should have been in Red City, had returned unexpectedly. She stared at the honorary photo of Chen Feng winning the World Fighting Tournament, her eyes bloodshot with exhaustion.
Every face in the room held a desperate hope for new information.
They refused to accept this outcome, refusing to believe that Chen Feng had fallen.
"Senior Brother is still alive!"
"He'll definitely come back!"
Someone shouted first, desperately holding back tears.
Soon, similar sentiments spread like seeds, clinging to the last shred of hope.
Watching this scene, the Grandmasters of the Back Mountain Martial Alliance wore complex expressions.
Liu Duanyun, sitting alone in the hall, sighed deeply as he gazed westward for days.
Slaying Legends, Pinnacle of Martial Dao.
Contending with the Divine, Bloodied Skies.
How could you possibly... die?
The sigh fell heavily, refusing to accept the truth.
But when they learned the divine had intervened, their hopes dimmed completely.
Meanwhile, high above Nanjiang, a crimson aircraft slowed its descent, as if witnessing the scene from afar. The delegation members, who had returned safely, were all in somber spirits.
Han Mingchuan, captured and brought back, was about to face judgement.
Yet...
"Why couldn't he return?"
Nangong Ling led several Flying Generals and radiant council members to greet the returning party on the ground.
Normally radiating heroic poise, her trench coat now hung limply, her eyes shadowed with sorrow.
Hearing the inquiry, Xia Mingyuan, who had led the welcoming party, fell silent. The others accompanying him sighed, unable to offer any words of comfort.
Chairman Li Yun and the other returning council members, stepping out of the shuttle and back onto their homeland, wore bitter smiles, struggling to speak.
All the evidence seemed to point to a single conclusion:
The divine had intervened, leaving behind an enduring aftermath.
Spatial turbulence made survival uncertain.
Whether it was the overwhelming power of the sacred sun they had witnessed firsthand, or the persistent absence of any trace of the missing, every clue deepened their worst fears.
"No," Nangong Ling suddenly said in a low voice, turning to leave. "He still owes me a sparring match. I don't believe he's dead."
The others remained somber, the atmosphere heavy with silence.
Only Wang Cheng looked up at the familiar Red Nation sky vault, recalling the countless times they had fought side by side.
The Black Tide, Legends, angels...
So many disasters and formidable foes had failed to bring him down.
As for the seemingly insurmountable divine?
"Perhaps Nangong is right," Wang Cheng murmured, stepping forward. "You're definitely still alive."
(End of the Chapter)
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