Translator: Cinder Translations
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That night, at twelve o'clock.
With a loud clang, the rolling shutter door was closed heavily.
Chen Feng, holding the folded paper crane and a clothing bag, waved goodbye to Li Hongxia and her daughter.
"Sister Hongxia, Xiao Yao, take it easy on the road."
TL/N: "Xiao" here in Xiao Yao is meant as a term of endearment, Little Yao.
"Okay, Xiao Feng, goodbye."
"Goodbye, Brother Chen Feng."
Li Hongxia and her daughter both responded, then slowly rode off on their electric scooter.
Watching the red taillights disappear into the distance, Chen Feng turned and walked towards home.
Tap, tap!
The sound of footsteps echoed as he expanded his perception and walked slowly.
He tore open an energy bar's packaging, and the crisp crunching sound echoed in his mouth.
"I wonder if there are still any Serpent Men around."
Due to the incident with the black snake in the afternoon, Chen Feng was particularly vigilant at this moment.
Besides that, he actually felt a bit of anticipation.
If there were indeed more Serpent Men around, would killing them again earn him another secret medicine reward from the martial arts hall?
The thought flashed through his mind as Chen Feng licked his lips and slowed his pace.
Soon, more than ten minutes later, he arrived home, feeling a little regretful.
Click!
The door opened, and warm light filled the living room.
The TV was still playing softly, and Chen Yun was sitting on the sofa, apparently having fallen asleep at some point, her head slightly tilted back, her long eyelashes resting gently.
Perhaps sensing the sound of the door opening, Chen Yun's eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes slowly opened.
"Xiao Feng?"
"Sis."
Chen Feng replied, changing into his slippers.
"If you're tired, go to your room and sleep, so you don't catch a cold."
"I'm fine, hehe."
With a smile, Chen Yun quickly got up and went to the kitchen, bringing out a large bowl of steaming chicken soup.
"You must be hungry. Don't eat too much cold bread, it's not good for your stomach."
"Here, try what I made."
Chen Feng paused as he smelled the irresistible aroma.
Nodding, he walked over and sat at the dining table, taking a couple of bites.
"How is it?"
"Really good."
"Looks like my cooking skills haven't gotten rusty."
Chen Yun said with a smile and went back to her room. In a moment, she returned with two new black outfits.
"Try them on in your room. If they don't fit, I'll take them back and exchange them tomorrow."
Her tone was casual, and her smile was pure.
Chen Feng, still drinking the soup, paused for a moment, before smiling and nodding.
Click!
Ten minutes later, after finishing the soup, Chen Feng returned to his bedroom.
He tried on both sets of black clothing.
They fit well, the fabric felt comfortable, clearly chosen with care by Chen Yun.
Once again feeling the warmth of being taken care of, Chen Feng shook his head and quickly suppressed his negative thoughts, lying down on the bed.
Full of energy, his physical strength still intact.
He wanted to see what kind of state he would enter into in tonight's dream.
Lying flat, he slowly closed his eyes.
Perhaps due to his strong willpower, he found it much easier to fall asleep, even feeling like he could control when to fall asleep.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Finally, his consciousness sank, and Chen Feng felt the subtle change in his body's center of gravity.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting on a public seat, still holding the small copper plate he had discovered the last time he left the dream.
[Black Ant Swarm, Black Soldier Ants]
Glancing at the familiar text, Chen Feng noticed the edges of the copper plate weren't smooth, showing signs of being scratched and abraded.
It felt as though it had been torn from a larger whole, or even ripped off by brute force.
"How much strength would it take to do this?"
Staring at the marks on the edges of the copper plate, Chen Feng tried to tear it apart.
It didn't budge. It was much sturdier than he had imagined, and the material was clearly not regular copper.
A bit surprised.
Chen Feng thought for a moment, then decided to keep the copper plate and pocket it.
Tap, tap!
Standing up from the public seat, he drew the black handgun from his waist.
There was only one bullet left. Chen Feng's gaze shifted towards the distant Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
"It's time for revenge."
The thought flashed through his mind as he stepped forward, heading straight for the martial arts hall.
Tap, tap, tap! The footsteps echoed steadily, without the slightest flicker of disharmony.
The fog on both sides gradually cleared, revealing the sprawling martial arts hall.
It was two stories tall, with a huge brown wooden door still wide open.
The internal lighting was dim, and the ground outside the door was paved with even bricks.
Tap!
Just as Chen Feng stepped into the martial arts hall area, his senses shifted, as a shadow moved inside the building.
A tall, burly man slowly walked out, standing at the door.
Barefoot, wearing a tight white martial arts uniform, with a black line embroidered in the shape of "Ji" on the left chest.
His muscular arms hung at his sides, and under the black-and-white mask, only a pair of dark pupils could be seen.
In an instant, their eyes met, and killing intent washed over him.
Seeing the masked man charging toward him, Chen Feng grinned, baring his teeth, no longer feeling any worry or hesitation!
Boom!
Fist collided with fist, muscles tensed, and his spine straightened.
After the nourishment of the secret medicine, Chen Feng had reached the threshold of professional-level martial arts.
Immediately, a violent force exploded, but he didn't retreat.
"Explosive Fist!"
His muscles surged, and his right arm swelled with power.
The layered strength gathered and erupted with 280 kilograms of force.
Boom!!!
A muffled sound rang out, and both men staggered backward.
"Professional Level Three!"
Chen Feng's eyes brightened. Sliding back half a meter, he roughly estimated the masked man's strength.
He was stronger than Chen Feng in his normal state, but not by much.
The thought passed, and just as the masked man steadied himself and charged again, Chen Feng didn't hesitate.
He immediately drew the black gun from his waist, aimed, and pulled the trigger.
Bang!!
The last bullet shot out. Though it deviated slightly, it still struck the masked man's chest.
Puff!
The bullet penetrated, tearing through organs.
But what surprised Chen Feng was what happened next.
Tap, tap, tap!
The masked man's footsteps grew rapidly closer, his body swaying, but he continued charging forward, his breathing steady, completely unharmed.
Whirr!
The sound of rushing fists quickly approached. The masked man's powerful fists were aimed directly at Chen Feng's face.
Even more so, circles of white vapor spread around, and Chen Feng recognized the familiar scent.
"Explosive Fist?"
His eyes narrowed as the fist was about to strike.
Boom!!!
The punch, far surpassing 350 kilograms of force, struck Chen Feng's head without any obstacle.
The fiberglass-like red light flickered, and his head tilted slightly.
Then, more punches came one after another.
Boom, boom, boom!
Muffled sounds continued. The masked man seized the opportunity, repeatedly launching punches.
The force erupted far beyond before, with punches coming like a fierce storm, creating gusts of air.
Finally, just as the masked man gathered his strength again to launch another Explosive Fist...
Chen Feng's hand shot forward, the Azure palm reaching out and grabbing the man's fist.
"Have you had your fun?"
Chen Feng activated the Azure Armor, tilting his head slightly, and coldly said.
The masked man paused his movements, and the atmoorb fell into silence as the mist dispersed.
Boom!!!
Chen Feng slammed his head forward, and the horned blue face collided fiercely with the masked man's forehead.
In the next moment, his perception expanded, and just as the masked man was about to retaliate, Chen Feng's right arm suddenly gathered strength and unleashed an Explosive Fist!
Boom!
The punch landed directly on the masked man's heart, with no hesitation.
Bang!!!
It sounded like the reverberation of a drum, and Chen Feng vaguely heard a sharp screech.
Immediately after, the surrounding mist quietly enveloped the area. What was once a bright space was now filled with shadowy figures.
There were more than ten figures, both men and women, all with smooth faces and no facial features.
"Sure enough, inside you is the Black Soldier Ant. And this guy must be your leader."
His guess was confirmed. Chen Feng immediately exploded with power and shook his arm.
The punch that had been stamped onto the masked man's chest struck again, this time like a reloaded cannonball charging forward!
Roar!
A tiger emerges from the mountains! The Eleven Movements of the Flame Tiger Stance!
Crack!
A loud, violent crack echoed as the sharp screeching stopped abruptly.
In his perception, the masked man lost his breath and flew backward.
The dozen or so faceless figures around him moved, all launching attacks to surround and kill him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Punches, side kicks, spinning leg strikes!
With the unique Azure Armor that feared nothing, within five seconds, one faceless figure after another was sent flying backward at even faster speeds.
Some crashed into the front yard wall, their bones broken and twisted, while others were sent flying through windows, getting stuck inside.
Bang!
The sound of a body hitting the ground echoed. The mist receded, and the last faceless figure was held by Chen Feng by the neck, lifted off the ground with one arm.
With a blank expression, Chen Feng squeezed his palm.
Crack!
A brittle sound rang out, and all the faceless figures perished.
Without a moment's pause, Chen Feng's perception flared, and his figure flickered, leaving behind a trail of blue-black afterimages.
The sound of swishing filled the air as black ant lines darted toward him, but they were narrowly avoided.
The ground tiles corroded and caved in, with sizzling sounds and gray smoke rising.
Seeing this, Chen Feng couldn't help but wonder if the Azure Armor could resist the attacks from the Black Soldier Ant swarm.
"Forget it, better not to try."
He shook his head. These Black Calamity creatures were out of the ordinary.
After standing still for a few moments, he saw the faceless figures' corpses quickly decay and disappear, leaving behind gray light orbs.
At the same time, an unusual glow appeared where the masked man had fallen.
It was a light blue orb, containing the faint image of a fist.
The scene seemed familiar, and Chen Feng couldn't help but think back to when he first obtained the Explosive Fist skill.
It was identical to that skill light orb.
"Could it be..."
A thought crossed his mind, and Chen Feng dispersed the Azure Armor form to conserve energy.
The shell on his body receded like a tide, and he stepped forward to touch the light blue orb.
[You have picked up a (Skill Light Orb)!]
[Skill: Explosive Fist]
[You already possess this skill!]
[Choice 1: Fuse: Increase the proficiency of Explosive Fist!]
[Choice 2: Decompose: Break the skill light orb into pure martial will residue—Limit-Breaking Light Orb!]
[Note: If the Limit-Breaking Light Orb is used to enhance Explosive Fist, the effect is halved!]
The panel's prompt appeared automatically, and after seeing the content, Chen Feng raised an eyebrow.
"Fuse... Decompose."
He hadn't expected such an option.
The meaning was simple: choose one, either directly increase the proficiency of Explosive Fist or decompose it into a regular Limit-Breaking Light Orb.
The difference didn't seem huge, but the latter could be used to improve other skills.
Of course, the first option wasn't bad either, as it would enhance Explosive Fist more effectively.
After a brief pause, Chen Feng hesitated slightly.
Increasing Explosive Fist was definitely powerful, but if the Flame Tiger Stance could be improved, he would become an official disciple of the Martial Arts Hall sooner and gain access to stronger sect inheritance.
After considering for a few seconds, Chen Feng finally focused on the Explosive Fist option.
"Directly enhancing Explosive Fist is the best choice."
"Decomposing it would significantly reduce its effectiveness, and the Flame Tiger Stance can still be improved using the Martial Arts Hall's secret medicine."
With this thought in mind, he made his decision.
"Explosive Fist, enhance!"
Buzz!
The sensation of enlightenment surged through his entire being, and Chen Feng felt as though he had become the masked man.
Day and night, he tirelessly tempered his muscles and practiced the Explosive Fist technique.
Sweat drenched his entire body, and the solitude of the training surrounded him.
In the end, the light and shadows dissipated, and the Explosive Fist progress rapidly changed.
[Explosive Fist: Beginner (62%)]
"50% increase."
Chen Feng nodded inwardly, feeling quite satisfied.
This upgrade was equivalent to five Limit-Breaking Light Orbs.
He then gathered his thoughts and looked around at the ten or so gray light orbs. Chen Feng moved forward, approaching them one by one.
Buzz!
The grayish light points merged into his substitute, and his perception talent progress grew as well.
[Talent: Perception LV2 (29/100)]
"Only a 28% increase?"
Chen Feng frowned as he noticed the progress was slowing down.
He had just killed fourteen faceless figures. If it had been before, it would have been enough to level up.
"Looks like the higher the talent level, the harder it gets to level up."
"To get Perception to level 3, I'm afraid I'll need to put in more effort."
Chen Feng thought to himself, not dwelling too much on it.
As long as the dream world existed, he could keep improving.
With that in mind, he quickly walked into the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
Using his perception, Chen Feng sensed that no other lifeforms were present.
He checked all the training rooms, sweeping through both the first and second floors.
Soon, he found six Limit-Breaking Light Orbs.
In addition, he discovered a partially damaged iron book that contained written text.
[Year 221 of the Alliance: The Black Calamity is overwhelming, the Alliance is weakening, and internal conflicts within the high walls are frequent. To prevent the loss of inheritance, the Extreme Martial Arts Hall split into three branches, each seeking a path to survive, leaving a spark of hope.]
[One of my branches was personally passed down by the 19th Master, and it was left behind by my granduncle, Zhao Yan, the 23rd generation disciple.]
[The Black Calamity has been ongoing for 36 years. We have fought in hundreds of battles, slaying one Black Calamity creature, the Shadow Dragon, five Sand Demons, and eleven others. Many of our elders died in battle, and only a few of us survived, heavily wounded, barely hanging on.]
[The hearts of the Alliance are growing restless, and the city of Qinggang is weakening. Even traitors have joined the Black Calamity tide.]
[Though a Spiritual Master has emerged to awaken ancient spirits and block the disaster tide, our hope for inheritance remains slim.]
[To be safe, we decided to leave behind this record, hoping future generations will find hope and restore the glory of our martial arts.]
[Extreme Martial Style: Our Extreme Martial Arts Hall's martial arts system includes five advanced boxing styles, four body-refining techniques, and two Limit-Breaking Methods, along with several mid and low-level techniques.]
[Those who practice with sincerity, provided they have good roots, may have a chance to break through the limits of martial arts and transcend the mundane world.]
[Cultivation method for high-level boxing style 1: Extreme Martial Fist. It requires internal refinement of the organs and mastery of the internal strength before beginning cultivation. It is recommended to first master the basic Explosive Fist technique to the perfect stage.]
[Specific cultivation methods are as follows:]
(End of the Chapter)
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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.