Translator: CinderTL
Boom!!
Water splashed violently as Tang Lin, a Sixth-Tier Mech Warrior, was brutally dragged into the water of Yun Port City.
The Black Flame from the black flying sword vaporized an unknown amount of water, creating a thick fog. Simultaneously, the Flying Shuttle transformed into a Sniper Cannon and fired in a desperate barrage.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
The muffled explosions shook the heavens, causing the pursuing crowd to pale. Someone urgently activated an advanced energy field scanner, peering into the underwater battle unfolding with earth-shattering intensity.
While the scanner couldn't penetrate the water to reveal the exact details, the contours of the energy fields provided a clear picture.
One figure used a Force Field to control their surroundings, forming a shield that deflected the water flow while simultaneously directing the Sniper Cannon's relentless attacks.
The other figure ignored the black sword's slashing attacks, enduring the Sniper Cannon's beams that could shatter metal and crush stone with their bare flesh. They unleashed a relentless barrage of punches.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!
The muffled explosions continued underwater, like torpedoes detonating, sending water columns soaring into the sky.
The bridge above trembled violently, and passing cars ground to a halt, their occupants frozen in fear.
"Fire the Energy Cannon!!"
Someone with a short temper could no longer restrain themselves, demanding the use of an Energy Cannon to end the underwater conflict immediately.
But before his subordinates could respond, he pressed the button.
Boom!!
A towering plume of water shot skyward, crimsoned by a torrent of blood that stained the river.
Wrath of the Storm descended instantly, freezing the seawater solid and violently assaulting the Modified Human's mind.
Tang Lin's eyes widened in disbelief as a searing headache tore through his skull, followed by an even more excruciating pain erupting from his chest.
"Ghh...ghhh..."
The Force Field shattered completely, and the black mechanical flying sword before him crumbled inch by inch.
Looking down, he saw a gaping hole in his chest, starkly visible.
His still-beating heart was clutched tightly in a massive hand, held by the cold, indifferent figure clad in black bone armor.
"Since you're so loyal," the figure said, his voice devoid of emotion, "I'll reunite master and servant, neatly and completely."
As the words fell, Tang Lin's pupils contracted.
Boom!!!
His heart exploded, life essence draining away.
His constricted pupils remained fixed for a few seconds before dilating and blurring.
All his Life Essence had been forcibly extracted. Chen Feng could already sense a deafening roar echoing from the sky above and a bone-chilling coldness that stirred his primal instincts.
Boom!!!
The river vaporized, and a beam of blue energy pierced through Yun Port City, blasting a hole through the riverbed and obliterating everything around it—bricks, concrete, all reduced to dust.
The solid ground beneath the riverbed collapsed, forming a massive chasm that was rapidly filling with water.
The earth shook violently, and the bridge swayed precariously, teetering on the brink of collapse.
The dense fog thickened, but it was soon violently dispersed by the arrival of aircraft.
On the bridge, along the roadside, and atop rooftops...
Inside the surrounding Armored Vehicles and Flying Cars, everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the scene.
Their pupils constricted in disbelief.
The reason for their shock? A colossal cavern had inexplicably opened up on the opposite side of the riverbed.
It looked as if some monstrous entity had forcibly blasted its way through, creating a temporary underground passage leading directly into the city.
"Damn it!"
"Pursue!"
Buzz!
A roaring shockwave tore through the air, scattering the Red Guard and Yun Port defenders who had been flying in all directions, forming a tight net.
Standing inside a high-rise building, a figure in a black trench coat frowned slightly.
"Did things really have to get this loud?"
He wore a wide-brimmed hat, giving him the air of a medieval Noble. His skin was pale, his eyes were pitch black, with a hint of crimson flickering within.
"Luo Wantao is dead," a voice suddenly announced.
A figure in a black robe emerged from the shadows on the ground, gender indiscernible.
Hearing this, the trench-coat-clad man wearing a wide-brimmed hat frowned deeply. This wasn't what he'd planned.
"Things are getting out of control."
"We only meant to distract them. Now, we might actually force the Red Nation Military to investigate the truth thoroughly and never let go."
The figure in the black robe looked displeased, their eyes cold.
The trench-coat-clad man in the wide-brimmed hat remained silent for a moment before an odd sound broke the stillness.
Flap! Flap!
Wings fluttered. Turning to look, they saw a black bat the size of a palm. Crimson veins spiraled across its wings, resembling raised blood vessels.
"Then let's accelerate the Plan."
Shaking his head, a pair of bat wings sprouted from the trench-coat-clad man's back.
"Prepare all the sacrifices before they uncover the truth."
"And also..."
A crimson glint flashed in his eyes. His figure vanished from the spot, leaving only his voice echoing.
"Find out who that guy really is."
Splash!
A splash echoed across the azure ocean.
Phosphorus fire flickered in his eye sockets, and the damp seawater was repelled by an invisible force, unable to come near.
Then, his gaze turned to the distance.
Chen Feng's Perception revealed the scattered gray-white warships in the distance, along with numerous fighter jets and aircraft circling overhead, closing in.
Without hesitation, he immediately blasted a temporary cave into the coastline, sealing it with a massive boulder and using his Steel Bones Round Shield to block the energy field, creating a hiding place.
Buzz!!!
The sound of wind swept overhead. Through his Perception, he could see aircraft conducting a carpet search, just having passed over the area.
Meanwhile, warships were patrolling the nearby waters, gradually moving further away.
He waited patiently, the whooshing sound of aircraft slicing through the air echoing repeatedly.
No one suspected he was still near Yun Port. Most assumed he had already fled across the Great Ocean.
Merchant ships leaving Yun Port were intercepted, and flying cars on land were subjected to strict inspections.
Finally, his Perception confirmed the area was clear.
He quickly emerged from his hiding place, sprinting without looking back into a wilderness of green forest just before a submarine arrived.
This was the outskirts of Yun Port, not too far from the city center yet bordering another city.
The black bone armor on his body subtly faded, and the head where bone and flesh met began to transform.
A plain thirty-year-old face emerged, with an ordinary build. Dressed in a windbreaker and hiking boots, he moved swiftly through the green forest like a mountain climber.
His figure resembled a cheetah, agilely and swiftly darting through the undergrowth, leaving barely a trace.
Time ticked by, each second stretching into an eternity. His Perception had long expanded, now encompassing a thousand-meter radius.
Occasionally, the distant sounds of helicopters and fighter jets echoed overhead. He knew these suburban forests were the perfect hiding place.
He took shelter beneath trees or behind rocks, skillfully evading every search party. Before he knew it, he had reached the outskirts of another city north of Yun Port.
The deeper he ventured into the mainland, the less frequent the aerial searches became.
After more than an hour, Chen Feng spotted smoke rising from a distant factory, accompanied by a faint tremor in the ground beneath his feet.
Suddenly, Chen Feng's eyes flashed as he glanced at the asphalt road outside the forest.
With a low hum, a small cargo truck emerged from a bend in the road. Its tightly sealed cargo hold was packed with wooden crates and goods.
The middle-aged driver, his mouth full of stubble and a cigarette clamped between his teeth, was completely focused on the road ahead.
The slight dip in the truck's chassis didn't catch his attention. But the shadow clinging beneath it, its Perception amplified, confirmed that no trace remained. Only then did Chen Feng finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Looks like this time, I made quite a commotion."
His gaze calm, Chen Feng gripped the steel pipe beneath the truck's chassis with one arm, a storm of thoughts swirling in his mind.
Killing Luo Wantao had been a necessity.
He knew that if the man successfully transferred to a new post, he would never let Chen Feng go. Luo Wantao likely already suspected a close connection between the murderer and himself.
So, for the past three days, Chen Feng had spent most of his time planning his escape route. This meticulous preparation was the key to his seemingly smooth and safe departure.
Even so, he had paid a heavy price.
Most of the Life Essence he had obtained from the Admiral of the Infernal Prison, stored within the Heart of Life's imprint, had been consumed.
The majority had been used to heal his injuries, restore his stamina, and alleviate the strain on his body.
This was the true source of his confidence in leaving Yun Port City, having successively repelled the Flying General, captured and killed the Modified Human, and withstood both energy cannons and sniper fire.
Moreover, he had unexpectedly discovered something that, while surprising, also made perfect sense.
The Life Essence extracted from the slain Cyborgs and Modified Humans, including Tang Lin, was of surprisingly low quality—far inferior to that of the Admiral of the Infernal Prison.
"Whether it's Cyborgs or Mech Warriors, it all boils down to external forces," Chen Feng mused. "One uses modification to enhance their body, gaining incredible strength and resilience. The other uses it to control mechanical weapons with perfect precision."
"Fundamentally, their life essence remains that of ordinary humans. They've merely used technology to achieve superhuman feats."
A series of speculations flooded his mind, but Chen Feng wasn't overly disappointed.
The reason was simple:
[Steel Bones LV5: 56/100]
While Cyborgs and Mech Warriors couldn't provide much Life Essence, Metal Essence perfectly compensated for this deficiency.
As a result, his Steel Bones progress surged dramatically, and his Azure Armor also skyrocketed, quietly reaching the 96% mark and nearing its next upgrade.
Most importantly, the following:
[Heart of Glory (Level 5: 1/100)]
[You have completed a battle to defend your glory.]
[Victory!]
[Heart of Glory upgraded successfully!]
[You have earned an opportunity to enhance the Holy Shield Colossus!]
[Hint 1: The Holy Shield Colossus will undergo a second transformation. You can immediately initiate the first phase of enhancement!]
[Hint 2: The second phase requires a large amount of Earth Vein Power to replenish its energy. During this upgrade, the Colossus will be unable to move!]
[Hint 3: During the transformation, Glory Points can still be accumulated and will serve as nourishment for the next transformation!]
The hints appeared, signaling the Heart of Glory's successful upgrade once again.
However, unlike previous transformations, this enhancement of the Holy Shield Colossus was somewhat unique.
"The first phase can be completed quickly."
"The second phase requires sufficient Earth Vein Power for energy replenishment and, like the previous transformation, will render the Colossus dormant for a period, unable to attack."
Chen Feng's eyes flickered as he read the two hints, a sudden realization dawning upon him.
Chen Feng suspected that the Holy Shield Colossus's second transformation would bring about a significant change, or that every upgrade after Sixth-Tier would become extremely difficult.
After all, in the past, Glory Points alone had been sufficient. Even during the previous transformation, which had taken several days, he hadn't needed any external assistance.
"Earth Vein Power... does that mean I need to find a special mountain range and let the Holy Shield Colossus absorb enough earth elements?"
Reanalyzing the upgrade requirements, Chen Feng's thoughts ultimately returned to the starting point.
"Let's enhance the first stage first."
The thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately chanted the upgrade command silently.
Buzz!
Instantly, the brilliant golden light in his mind surged violently. The miniature Holy Shield Colossus remained suspended motionless within it, but golden light rain enveloped its body, slowly merging into its form.
Chen Feng knew that the golden light rain represented the Glory Points he had been collecting.
Estimating that the process would take a short while, he withdrew his Perception and expanded his awareness to encompass the surrounding area once more.
They traveled in silence until he finally spotted the city defenses of Yun Port City not far ahead.
Without delay, Chen Feng quickly jumped down from the truck and detoured through the green forest on the outskirts.
Looking around, he saw a dense thicket of untamed shrubs and scattered piles of dead leaves and branches jutting up here and there.
This place should have been deserted, but Chen Feng walked closer and raised his palm, striking down.
Shatter!!
All the dead leaves and branches were swept away, revealing an unmanned Flying Car parked beneath.
Its intelligent mode had already been disabled and destroyed remotely. Without wasting words, Chen Feng quickly retrieved the key, unlocked the car, and settled into the driver's seat.
During this time, he activated his Physical Body power once more. Through the technique of "Shifting Form and Changing Bones," his face transformed into that of a gaunt, hollow-eyed man in his thirties.
He took a change of clothes from the backpack on the passenger seat and changed, completing his preparations.
Vroom!!
A wake of air surged behind him as he sped the Flying Car toward Nanjiang.
He drove on for an unknown duration, not even pausing to rest or dream that night, pushing himself relentlessly.
Finally, at dawn, he reached the outskirts of the city.
He raised his palm and touched the Flying Car's hood. Before his eyes, the pristine vehicle gradually disintegrated, leaving behind only a pile of debris and non-metallic components.
Under the force of a single punch, everything shattered, leaving only dust.
With a wave of his palm, a tremendous force stirred the grass, trees, and earth, completely burying the last traces of the scene.
"That should be enough," Chen Feng said calmly. Then, with long strides, he bypassed Nanjiang's city defenses and returned to the city's Martial Hall.
The night sky was dotted with stars, and the journey passed without incident.
He gently pushed open the door to the Meditation Chamber, where the black-coated dummy sat cross-legged. He restored it to its original state.
Finally, he picked up his phone and unlocked the screen.
A stream of unread messages filled his vision.
(End of the Chapter)
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