Translator: CinderTL
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Inside the villa in the dream world, Chen Feng ejected the magazine from his pistol and examined it.
There was only one bullet remaining, with another already chambered.
After a moment's thought, he activated his Azure Armor form once again.
A hum sounded as a brilliant azure light burst forth, enveloping his body in a shell resembling the exoskeleton of a rhinoceros beetle.
He extended his arm and aimed the gun barrel at himself. Disabling the safety, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Flames erupted from the muzzle, and the sound of the gunshot reverberated.
Chen Feng felt a jolt in his arm. Looking down, he noticed a small indentation on the armor's surface.
Yet, despite the dent, the azure-black armor remained intact and undamaged.
As for the bullet, it ricocheted off, eventually piercing a wardrobe on the side.
"Haha!"
The red eyes on his horned helmet gleamed, and Chen Feng clenched his fists tightly.
The Azure Armor form had elevated his strength to an entirely new level.
Even without using explosive strikes, his strength and speed rivaled those of professional fighters at levels three or four.
Not to mention, he could now withstand bullets for a short time with this sturdy defense.
If he were to encounter the black-robed serpent man again, a single move in his Azure Armor form would be sufficient to eliminate him.
"However, the drawbacks are evident…"
"The mental and physical energy consumption is massive. Right now, I can only maintain it for five minutes at most."
Deactivating the Azure Armor form, Chen Feng exhaled deeply.
The form was undeniably powerful, but it was clearly tied to his physical and mental strength.
The stronger his constitution and the more abundant his energy, the longer he could sustain this power.
Besides...
[Talent Growth Condition: Induce enough fear!]
Looking at the talent growth prompt on the interface, Chen Feng was surprised.
Growing by inducing fear?
This was entirely different from his perception talent, which only required slaying Faceless Ones.
"Does it mean fear from any living being?"
"How do I obtain it? By scaring others?"
Various thoughts flashed through his mind as Chen Feng's eyes flickered with consideration.
Eventually, he decided to try it out in reality once he returned.
With that thought in mind, he left the villa with the pistol in hand.
Glancing at the martial arts hall 100 meters away, his eyes lit up.
"The masked man…"
A spark of determination ignited within Chen Feng as he prepared for revenge.
The Azure Armor gave him immense confidence, not to mention the pistol he had acquired.
He felt certain of his ability to defeat the man.
However, just as he stepped forward—
The ground beneath him vanished, and his body lost balance.
The solid floor disappeared, and a familiar ceiling appeared before his eyes.
Nearby, curtains swayed gently in the breeze as sunlight filtered through.
"Good morning, I guess."
Chen Feng sighed, a tinge of regret in his voice.
Still, he wasn't too disappointed; after all, the masked man couldn't escape forever.
Summoning the interface, he turned his attention to his other gains.
[Limit Break Points: 4]
"Four Limit Break points. Which one should I enhance?"
Gazing at the interface, Chen Feng contemplated.
[Judo: Mastery (10%) +]
[Explosive Fist: Beginner (11%) +]
[Flaming Tiger Stance: Tiger Form (13%) +]
"Enhancing Explosive Fist or Flaming Tiger Stance would undoubtedly bring great improvements."
"But unfortunately, there aren't enough Limit Break points for either."
"Judo is the same. It would take at least one more point to reach mastery."
Seeing that none of the skills could be significantly upgraded at the moment, Chen Feng decided to save the points for now.
He quickly got out of bed, drew the curtains, and took in the view of the blue skies and white clouds outside.
The shadows of people moved through the old concrete neighborhood, while some could be seen retrieving clothes from outdoor balconies.
Further away, towering skyscrapers lined the streets, with newly developed buildings standing like giants.
The mundane scenes of the neighborhood felt oddly refreshing to Chen Feng.
"Although the Azure Armor talent is strong, I can't neglect martial arts…"
Standing by the window, Chen Feng's eyes were exceptionally calm.
Five minutes of overwhelming power couldn't compare to the enduring stability martial arts provided.
The Azure Armor was indeed formidable, but its strength was fundamentally tied to his base physical abilities.
Moreover, the form consumed significant stamina and mental energy, making it unsustainable.
Martial arts, on the other hand, enhanced his combat techniques and permanently strengthened his physical attributes.
The two complemented each other and were integral to his overall power.
Besides, the dream world's Limit Break orbs ensured that his martial arts progress would be smooth.
With his thoughts resolved, Chen Feng planned his next steps and quickly freshened up, ate breakfast, and left his apartment.
Without further delay, he boarded a bus.
As the vehicle moved, the scenery outside began to recede.
Old cement buildings gave way to glass-panelled skyscrapers on either side.
While idly passing time, Chen Feng recalled the events of the previous night involving the serpent man. He pulled out his phone to check the news.
"No related reports?"
Chen Feng suspected the Safety Bureau was deliberately suppressing the information.
However, he soon spotted a headline that caught his attention.
[Major Development in Jewelry Store Robbery!]
[According to the Safety Bureau's investigation and tracking, the robbery appears to be linked to the Utopia Organization.]
[Of the five robbers, two have been killed. Blood tests suggest they were Zhou Qi and Li Ping, who disappeared a year ago...]
[The identities of the other three are unknown, but they are suspected of mechanical modifications. Citizens are urged to provide tips if they have any information...]
After reading the news, Chen Feng raised an eyebrow.
He had witnessed the robbery while riding a bus nearby and had seen the Safety Bureau promptly eliminate two of the culprits.
However, he hadn't expected the incident to be connected to the Utopia Organization.
"Mechanical modifications... transforming body parts?"
"This is becoming increasingly complicated…"
Shaking his head, Chen Feng decided not to dwell on the matter.
When the bus reached its destination, he arrived at the Jinhua District Martial Arts Hall.
Just as he was about to enter, his phone vibrated.
[Chen Yun: Xiao Feng, the project research is over.]
[I plan to come home and rest for a few days.]
"Hm?"
Seeing the message, Chen Feng quickly replied.
"Alright."
[Chen Yun: Is there anything you'd like to eat? I received a bonus from this project.]
"No."
Chen Feng responded briefly.
[Chen Yun: Alright.]
[Chen Yun: When I get back, I'll cook a feast for you. 😊]
Reading the message, Chen Feng nodded lightly.
After exchanging a few more words, the conversation ended.
Pocketing his phone, he entered the martial arts hall.
"Morning."
Lin Hao had arrived earlier and was already dressed in a loose gray T-shirt.
"Morning."
Chen Feng nodded slightly in response. He placed his bag into a metal locker and changed into a set of loose black athletic wear.
"Huh?"
"Did you get a tattoo yesterday?" Lin Hao suddenly noticed the azure mark on the back of Chen Feng's left hand.
Chen Feng nodded. He had already prepared this as a cover story.
Sensing Lin Hao's curiosity and knowing he might ask further questions, Chen Feng quickly changed the subject, bringing up the Tian Heng Society matter.
"Any updates on the favor I asked?"
"Just wait a bit longer."
Lin Hao grinned, aware that today was the third and final day of his promise.
"The city's been restless lately, and it's hard to gather certain information."
"But don't worry, I said three days, so you'll get an answer by the end of today's training."
(End of the Chapter)
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Read (MF) ahead on (pa treon. com/CinderTL) – Chapter 92.
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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.