Translator: Cinder Translations
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"This kid seems to be absorbing it quite well."
In the quiet room, Cao Tong stood quietly like a massive rock at the side. His gaze was focused on Chen Feng, who was standing in a martial stance with his eyes closed, his body resembling the form of a tiger, crouched and still.
Though it appeared calm and ordinary, Cao Tong could sense that the energy within Chen Feng was slowly increasing.
Time passed by steadily, and after more than half an hour, Chen Feng's breath stabilized, and he suddenly opened his eyes.
"Hu!"
A hot breath escaped from his mouth, and his eyes flashed with brilliance.
Standing still, he relaxed his stance.
Chen Feng could clearly feel the changes in his body.
[Strength: 11.1]
[Stamina: 11.0]
[Agility: 10.5]
[Flame Tiger Stance: Tiger Form (54%)]
He clenched his fist slightly and could distinctly sense his own transformation.
His strength had increased again, nearing 200kg, almost reaching the professional level. His agility and stamina had risen as well, improving his endurance and physical strength, while the progress of the Flame Tiger Stance had leaped 40%.
Thanks to this, his body was nourished by the medicinal energy, and under the guidance and refinement of the stance, it became firmer and stronger.
Subtly, Chen Feng had an instinctual feeling.
His physical defense had increased significantly, and unless someone used exceptional force, a small knife wouldn't be able to cut through his skin.
"How does it feel?"
Cao Tong noticed that Chen Feng had absorbed all the medicinal energy and smiled, asking.
"It feels pretty good."
Chen Feng nodded and shared his feeling, wanting to verify it.
He had to admit that the effect of the secret medicine was indeed powerful.
It was nearly comparable to two attribute boosts and four limit-breaking light orbs.
"It's normal to feel this way."
Cao Tong nodded lightly and explained, "The Flame Tiger Stance is designed to lay the foundation and refine the body."
"Tiger Form focuses on refining the flesh, and the Tiger Embrace Pill is a powerful tonic, so it naturally strengthens your physical condition and tightens your muscles."
"This is just the Tiger Form. When you become an official disciple of our martial arts school in the future, you'll even practice the True Transmission skill."
"At that point, you could even resist bullets."
Cao Tong smiled as he spoke, and Chen Feng's heart stirred.
Resist bullets?
Could martial arts really reach this level?
"Don't underestimate martial arts," Cao Tong continued. "Although we live in a technological era, martial arts has indeed declined compared to the past."
"But there are still martial artists of this caliber in the world."
"For example, our school's little master uncle, or even the third elder you met earlier, have both had similar feats in the past."
Cao Tong briefly mentioned this, and Chen Feng could sense his respect and pride.
This indirectly confirmed his thoughts.
Just like the Azure Armor talent, martial arts were also an important path to strengthening one's power.
"Alright, enough talk."
"The medicinal power of the Tiger Embrace Pill might still be lingering. Go back and continue practicing the stance to see if you can fully absorb it."
After giving some advice, Cao Tong quickly took Chen Feng back to the practice room.
Everyone's eyes were on him, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
Seeing that his breath was stable, and he even conversed with Cao Tong with confidence, many were puzzled.
"This guy, something about him feels off."
Wu Tian frowned, and Pei Yue beside him also looked confused.
Chen Feng didn't respond, simply walking calmly back to his corner.
"Did you get a scolding?"
Lin Hao leaned over, curious.
"No."
Chen Feng shook his head and thought for a moment but didn't elaborate.
The matter with the Cult of the Evil God was complicated and convoluted, and explaining it would take too long.
"Oh, okay then." Lin Hao nodded, seeing that nothing was wrong, and didn't think much about it.
Soon, his eyes lit up as he whispered, "By the way, I wanted to discuss something with you."
"What is it?"
"I'm planning to open a boxing club in the next couple of days, make some money, and maybe build some connections."
"Are you interested in joining me?"
Lin Hao smiled, and Chen Feng was slightly taken aback.
A boxing club?
Many medium-sized martial arts events on Earth involved clubs, so to some extent, it was indeed a good way to make money.
If he joined, his life would certainly improve a lot.
"I don't have the money."
Chen Feng said honestly, as he didn't have the funds to start a club.
"Eh, I'll fund it."
Lin Hao waved his hand, looking confident, "You just need to work. You can be the boxing coach or help with the security, occasionally participate in matches. We'll split the profits."
Upon hearing this, Chen Feng fell silent.
It wasn't because the conditions were too harsh—in fact, they didn't put much pressure on him.
With his current strength, he had already reached the professional level, and he was more than capable of holding his own in the club.
However...
Looking at Lin Hao's smiling face, Chen Feng couldn't shake the feeling that this guy had ulterior motives.
"So, what do you think?"
Lin Hao urged, his eyes filled with expectation.
After some thought, Chen Feng recalled how Lin Hao helped him investigate the Tian Heng Society.
No matter what the ulterior motive was, at least the favor he did him was real.
"Alright."
In the end, Chen Feng nodded.
"Great!"
Lin Hao clapped Chen Feng's shoulder, his face beaming with joy.
Then the two of them discussed the club business for a while.
By the time they went to the cafeteria for lunch and finished their afternoon training, they parted ways, each heading to the changing room to change clothes and leave the martial arts school.
Standing at the bus station, watching the blue car speed away.
Chen Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing that Lin Hao was hiding some secret.
He even suspected that Lin Hao's invitation to start the boxing club might be related to this secret.
But...
"It doesn't really matter."
With a calm expression, the bus arrived, and Chen Feng saw his blurry reflection in the clean car window.
His height was close to 1.82 meters, tall and muscular, approaching the sturdy side. His muscles were clearly defined, and the black short-sleeve shirt he wore was becoming tight, fitting snugly against every inch of his skin.
As his physical strength grew stronger, he needed more food to sustain his body's functions and replenish nutrients.
The supermarket job was clearly no longer enough to handle this pressure, and becoming an official disciple would take some time.
So, this boxing club seemed like a good option.
Chen Feng moved his steps and entered the crowded bus.
Many pedestrians made way, and Chen Feng grabbed the metal handle, standing in the aisle by the window.
The street scene outside the window receded, with some holographic projections coming into view floating in the air outside large companies.
Gradually, as the bus drove steadily for more than half an hour, the familiar Yongle Fu Supermarket appeared again not far from the street.
"I heard from my son that the number of missing cases in the city has been increasing recently."
"Is that true?"
"Yes, it seems so. Be careful when you go out lately."
Inside the supermarket, He Xiuping, as usual, stood behind the cashier counter, chatting with Aunt Zhang, who was cleaning.
While talking, Aunt Zhang, who was bending over with a broom, felt a chill behind her and heard some hissing sounds.
Confused, she turned her head, and in the next second.
"Ah!!!"
A terrified scream rang out, and Aunt Zhang, holding a mop, collapsed to the ground.
He Xiuping at the cashier was startled and quickly looked over, only to see a black snake, more than a meter long, appearing out of nowhere and slithering up to the metal goods shelf.
The hissing snake tongue flicked in and out, its cold vertical pupils and winding scales made the skin crawl.
"This..."
Her body weakened, and He Xiuping's eyes widened, her face turning pale.
"Hiss..."
The snake's tongue flicked as it stretched its head toward Aunt Zhang, trying to crawl closer.
Both women were too frightened to move, and there were no other customers in the supermarket.
Until finally, the lights dimmed, and a large black figure, like a rock, violently entered their line of sight.
A thick hand, like a tiger's claw, reached out, seizing the snake by the neck.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The muscles, like stones, squeezed and exerted force, creating a sound that made one's teeth ache.
In less than half a second.
With a crunch, the snake's flesh and organs were crushed.
The black snake's body stiffened, its struggle ceased, and it lost its breath.
"Xiao, Xiao Feng?"
Aunt Zhang and He Xiuping called out, recognizing the newcomer.
"It's fine now."
Chen Feng glanced at the snake's corpse, curled it into a ball, and threw it into the trash bin.
He heightened his senses, instinctively thinking of the existence of the Serpent-men, vigilantly surveying his surroundings.
There was no hostility, everything seemed normal, and it looked like just a random incident.
"I wonder where this snake came from. I was so scared."
"Fortunately, Xiao Feng, you showed up. Otherwise, I might have been bitten."
Aunt Zhang said with lingering fear, and He Xiuping helped her stand up.
With a grateful tone, the two talked for a while.
Chen Feng nodded but didn't pay much attention.
Then, after confirming that there were no Serpent-men around, he relaxed his guard and washed his hands.
"This thing seems unlucky. I'll go throw it away."
It was already four o'clock, and Aunt Zhang was in a hurry to go home.
As she left, she nervously said, then casually took the trash bag with the black snake's body and threw it into the public trash bin outside.
Chen Feng acknowledged her and glanced at the flowing traffic and pedestrians outside.
"Is it really a coincidence?"
He hadn't noticed anything unusual and didn't feel any malice either.
Shaking his head inwardly, he kept it in mind.
He then put on his red vest and stood behind the cashier counter.
Aunt Zhang, who was supposed to be off, hadn't left, maybe due to gratitude and lingering fear. She shared a story about how she was once frightened by a snake when she was young.
The two of them stayed together in the supermarket for more than ten minutes.
Chen Feng raised his brow slightly, feeling something was off.
Finally, when Aunt Zhang also frowned, they saw the replacement cashier, Li Hongxia, arrive on her bike.
"Sorry, Sister Zhang, I'm late."
Li Hongxia was sweating profusely, still wearing a yellow delivery outfit. She walked over while unbuckling her helmet.
There was nothing unusual about her, but both Chen Feng and Aunt Zhang's eyes immediately focused on her.
"Hongxia, what's with..."
Looking over, they noticed that the left shoulder of Li Hongxia's shirt was torn, and her elbow was covered in abrasions, with blood dripping from the broken skin.
As for Xu Yao behind her, she also looked a bit disheveled.
There were two small bloodstains on her white T-shirt, and a stain on her backpack. Her face was pale, with some abrasions, and her arms had bruises and cuts from the fall.
"I was too hasty when crossing the traffic light and accidentally fell."
Li Hongxia said apologetically, her voice full of guilt, while she also looked at Xu Yao's injuries with some distress.
"Big brother Chen Feng, Aunt Zhang."
Xu Yao, carrying her backpack, was still pale but obediently called out to both Chen Feng and Aunt Zhang.
Seeing this, Chen Feng shook his head slightly, knowing that Li Hongxia had probably been in a rush to deliver the food.
Aunt Zhang didn't say much and quickly brought out Band-Aids and iodine to treat their wounds.
"Thank you, Aunt Zhang."
Xu Yao said softly, looking at the bruises and abrasions on her arms, which made Aunt Zhang feel a bit sorry.
"Hongxia, you're carrying a child, why rush like that?"
"You don't mind getting hurt, but what if something happens to Xu Yao?"
After hearing her worried lecture, Li Hongxia's expression turned apologetic, and she didn't dare argue.
On the side, Xu Yao opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to stop her.
She just felt that her mom had already worked so hard and that she shouldn't become a burden to her.
Her heart felt a little bitter, but she didn't know how to express it, fearing that arguing would upset Aunt Zhang.
As she was hesitating.
A shadow was cast, and the fluorescent light was subtly blocked.
A tall, burly figure walked up to them, and a box of candy was gently offered by a strong hand.
"Children shouldn't worry about adult matters."
Hearing the deep voice, Xu Yao trembled slightly and looked up.
The masculine, rugged face came into view, and a warm hand pressed down on her head.
"Eat some candy. Maybe it won't hurt as much."
Chen Feng said calmly, rubbing her head.
Then, seeing her dazed expression, he placed the candy down and returned to the cashier counter.
Outside the window, the street scene was as usual. Pedestrians passed by, and familiar voices filled the supermarket.
But Chen Feng knew he couldn't stay here for too long.
Whether it was joining Lin Hao's boxing club or becoming a formal disciple of the martial arts hall to earn a salary, both required him to set aside some time outside of training.
Compared to that, the least cost-effective job at the supermarket was definitely going to be abandoned.
"Let's wait a bit longer."
"I'll mention it to Liu Fang tonight or tomorrow, so there's some buffer time for recruiting."
The thought crossed his mind, and Chen Feng's future plans became clearer.
It has already been a month since he woke up as Chen Feng, and he was no longer the passive and weak person without choices.
But that wasn't enough.
Thinking about the Serpent-men and the Utopia organization in pursuit of his life, he had to grow stronger.
As time passed, customers came and went in the supermarket.
Aunt Zhang quietly left, and Li Hongxia took over, tidying up products and cleaning the shelves.
Time passed slowly until nearly midnight.
With a slight motion of his senses, Chen Feng looked out at the night sky, then returned his focus to the little girl walking up to the cashier counter.
"Brother Chen Feng."
Xu Yao whispered, her shoulder-length hair tied back with a black hair tie, her bright eyes reflecting the light above her head.
Band-Aids were on her arm and face, and while she looked tired, she appeared much better than when she first arrived at the supermarket.
"What is it?" Chen Feng asked, puzzled.
"The candy was really delicious. This is for you."
Xu Yao whispered, her little face slightly flushed with embarrassment as she quickly put something into Chen Feng's hand.
Then, she turned and hurried back to the sofa area.
Chen Feng was slightly stunned and looked down at his palm.
It was a paper crane folded from white paper.
It had the words "Thank you" written on it, the handwriting delicate and beautiful.
His gaze softened as he looked at her sitting back in the sofa area.
Obedient and sensible, like the epitome of an ordinary person.
For some reason, Chen Feng felt that the urgency for power that he had been feeling suddenly calmed down.
(End of the Chapter)
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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.