Translator: Cinder Translations
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[Progress +1!]
[Flame Tiger Stance: Tiger Form (56%) +]
Noon, in the martial arts training room.
Sweat dripped, chest rising and falling.
Chen Feng walked slowly to the window, feeling the breeze, picked up his sports water bottle, and twisted off the cap.
Gulp!
Gulp!
He drank deeply, the water flowing down as sweat continued to drop from his body.
Chen Feng glanced at the status panel, nodding to himself.
"Sure enough, the progress is faster than before. This must be the residual effects of the medicine that Brother Cao mentioned."
He knew that relying solely on his own talent, it would be difficult to increase the progress of the Flame Tiger Stance by two points in one morning.
Additionally, when he focused, he could sense a faint flow of heat nourishing his muscles while practicing the stance.
"The Tiger Embrace Pill is just an ordinary secret medicine, and its effects are already this noticeable."
"If there are higher quality ones..."
His thoughts wandered, and he remembered why he had received the secret medicine reward yesterday — it was related to the Serpent Spirit Sect.
So, he took advantage of this moment of rest.
After a brief pause, he quickly set the bottle down and walked towards Cao Tong, who had a slightly grim expression.
"Brother Cao."
Chen Feng called out, standing beside him.
"Mm?"
Cao Tong nodded, his expression softening a little.
He then raised his hand, signaling the students he had been instructing to leave, creating space for a private conversation with Chen Feng.
"What's the matter?"
"I noticed something unusual these past couple of days, and I think it might be related to the Serpent Spirit Sect."
Chen Feng briefly described the encounters with the snakes.
Cao Tong fell into thought for a moment.
"It seems the Serpent Spirit Sect might indeed be making a big move."
Chen Feng raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.
As if seeing his confusion, Cao Tong lowered his voice and explained, "The Serpent Spirit Sect is one of the cults worshiping evil gods, and they revere the Serpent God."
"In order to gain greater power, they often perform certain rituals to please the Serpent God and receive blessings in return."
"From past experiences, the snakes you encountered are likely influenced by their rituals, driven or attracted by some kind of power, causing them to appear in human areas."
After the explanation, Chen Feng roughly understood.
"So, shouldn't we stop them immediately?"
"Mm, it's definitely necessary."
Cao Tong nodded, his expression growing more serious.
He then patted Chen Feng's shoulder and comforted him, "But don't worry too much. Because you discovered the Serpent Men, the martial arts hall has already sent a true disciple to handle the situation."
"I'll inform her about this soon. If nothing goes wrong, it should be resolved smoothly."
Chen Feng thought about the young woman he had seen earlier in the corridor and asked, "Is it the one from this morning?"
"Yes, that's right. Wu Tian's aunt, Wu Shuang, she's a true disciple."
Chen Feng couldn't help but notice a subtle displeasure in Cao Tong's tone.
Before he could respond, Cao Tong leaned closer and whispered, "Wu Shuang is known for being petty, so you better lay low these days. Don't beat up Wu Tian again."
"Otherwise, even I can't stop her."
Chen Feng paused for a moment, quickly understanding what he meant.
---
Wu Tian stood nervously in front of Wu Shuang, who wore a simple white robe.
"I didn't expect you to come here, Aunt."
"Ha."
"If I hadn't come, would you have ended up being beaten into a fool?"
Wu Tian widened his eyes, surprised.
"You knew?"
"Of course, I do!"
Wu Shuang rolled her eyes and threw a small porcelain bottle into his hand.
"This is the secret medicine, the Tiger-Leopard Pill. Use it to regain your strength."
"If you lose again, don't blame me for punishing you."
After hearing these words, Wu Tian was still a bit reluctant. However, seeing Wu Shuang's cold demeanor, he dared not refute her and accepted the medicine.
"Are you still not convinced?"
Wu Shuang glanced at him knowingly, then spoke plainly, "Do you know why the sect is expanding the core disciples this time?"
"Isn't it to pass on the martial arts style?" Wu Tian asked, confused.
"Idiot."
Wu Shuang shook her head, speaking softly, "What good is it to add more official disciples?"
"It's for something else."
"The sect master is about to emerge from seclusion. He has decided to take a personal disciple."
Wu Shuang's expression became serious, and she said solemnly, "All of you core disciples are being selected for this purpose."
"Do you understand?"
Wu Tian's face stiffened as he realized the truth.
Personal disciple?
He hadn't expected this to be the real reason behind the selection.
His gaze then focused on the porcelain bottle in his hand, his excitement growing.
---
In the afternoon, around 3 PM.
Chen Feng finished training and changed in the locker room. He quickly left the martial arts hall with Lin Hao.
"Let's go. I'll check out the club."
"Alright."
Nodding, Chen Feng grabbed his clothes bag and umbrella, heading for the bus stop.
The sky was cloudy, and though it was dark, no rain had fallen yet.
A cool breeze signaled the beginning of autumn, making the air feel colder.
Soon, the bus arrived. Chen Feng stepped aboard and found a seat by the window.
His brief exchange with Cao Tong earlier had caused him to temporarily abandon the idea of continuing to gain fear points from Wu Tian.
It was a bit of a pity, but he had learned something important.
The true disciple, Wu Shuang, would be leading a team soon, cooperating with the Safety Bureau to deal with the Serpent Spirit Sect.
"Too bad I'm not an official disciple, so I can't go with them."
Shaking his head, Chen Feng felt that he had missed out on a chance to gain a secret medicine reward.
He thought about how he had now reached a professional level, and with his Explosive Fist, he would be able to deal with snakes at that level.
But unfortunately, being an official disciple was a hurdle, and from Cao Tong's tone, it seemed Wu Shuang might be somewhat against him.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Chen Feng's gaze flickered. He gradually suppressed these distractions.
Ultimately, it came down to strength. He hoped that tonight in his dreams, he could continue discovering Limit-Breaking Light Orbs and push his Flame Tiger Stance to the Tiger Roar level.
---
The bus continued its route, and Chen Feng sat at the back, gradually calming his mind as he watched the city streets pass by.
Half an hour later, the supermarket was in sight.
But just before they reached the bus stop, the bus slowed down and stopped by the roadside.
"Why did we stop?"
"Looks like there's traffic ahead?"
"Huh? Look, it seems like another protest?"
The elderly passengers inside the bus discussed in surprise. Chen Feng frowned and looked forward through the window.
The wide asphalt road was packed with cars, the honking of horns filling the air.
The sidewalk was filled with people holding banners, a mix of young and middle-aged, most of them with flushed faces, shouting excitedly.
"Protest!"
"Protest against the new regulations from the United Coalition!"
"Strict population control must be enforced, no outsiders allowed!"
Their passionate cries drowned out the sound of car horns for a moment.
"Another protest?"
Frowning, Chen Feng recalled the previous protest he had encountered, which was reported to be related to Utopia.
Suddenly, the air was shattered by a loud explosion.
Boom!!!
Some passengers inside the bus were so frightened they fell.
Chen Feng's thoughts were interrupted, and he quickly looked toward the source of the noise.
In the distance, a large jewelry store was engulfed in flames, smoke rising, and there were the sharp sounds of gunfire.
Bang, bang, bang!
A few shots rang out, and then a figure flew out, crashing through the glass and slamming into the wall of the opposite street.
Blood splattered in the air, a shocking sight that froze everyone on the sidewalk.
Even the people in the protest were frozen, standing motionless.
Boom!
Soon, the gunshots faded, and a dull sound echoed.
All eyes focused inward.
The thudding continued, as if a monster was stepping out of the jewelry store.
Finally, the smoke cleared.
Boom!
A silver-gray cyborg wearing a mask appeared, carrying a massive metal box that was several cubic meters in size. It walked steadily out from the store.
"Is it him?"
Chen Feng narrowed his eyes, catching a glimpse of a pattern on the cyborg's left chest.
Before he could recover, a large flying vehicle came into view, landing at the roadside.
With a loud bang, the massive metal box was thrown onto the vehicle.
The cyborg leaped onto the flying vehicle and swiftly flew away.
Whoosh!
The tail flames roared as the vehicle sped off.
Chen Feng watched as the flying vehicle brushed past the bus.
In the brief moment of eye contact, he was absolutely certain it was the same cyborg who had stopped him from leaving the Tian Heng Corporation building earlier—a member of Utopia.
"Loot it!"
"There's so much gold!"
Suddenly, the crowd outside erupted into chaos.
Someone started shouting, and the protesting group quickly scattered, with many running into the large jewelry store from earlier.
Even some bystanders, having regained their senses, covered their faces and followed, taking advantage of the chaos to loot.
The scene became a mess. The bus was stuck at the roadside, unable to move.
Chen Feng shook his head and decided to get off, quickly heading towards the Yongle Fu supermarket.
The air was tinged with the faint smell of gunpowder, a lingering trace of the earlier explosion.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed around him as most pedestrians fled, their faces pale with fear.
Bang!
A jewelry store's glass was shattered.
Soon after, gunshots rang out, followed by screams and cries.
Some looters were shot and fell to the ground, crying out in pain. However, a few bolder ones turned their attention to the pedestrians.
"Give me your phone!"
"My bag!"
Cries of alarm filled the air, and chaos ensued.
Chen Feng remained expressionless, walking forward indifferently.
Bang!
A thin girl wearing glasses was knocked down by a bag snatcher, hitting a streetlamp.
Despite this, she tightly clutched her brown leather bag, gritting her teeth and refusing to let go.
"Don't take my bag!"
"Please, don't!"
"Go to hell!"
The young man in a hoodie kicked her harshly. Chen Feng did not glance at the scene but walked past calmly.
Tap!
The girl's leg was grabbed.
Looking down, Chen Feng saw the pale-faced girl clutching the bag's zipper with one hand and holding onto her pants with the other, her face full of pleading.
"Please, help me."
"Kid, don't make trouble, got it?"
The hoodie-wearing young man glared at Chen Feng, a little intimidated by his larger frame.
But perhaps driven by anger, the young man took out a switchblade from his pocket and waved it threateningly.
Without speaking, Chen Feng stood still, silently gazing at the frail girl.
She was under 1.6 meters tall, with shoulder-length disheveled hair, and her white t-shirt had two footprints on it.
Her face had acne marks, and the lenses of her glasses were thick.
Squinting slightly, Chen Feng felt a strange sense of familiarity.
"Please, please help me!"
"The things in this bag mean so much to me."
"Wang Hanwen?"
Chen Feng interrupted her pleading words.
He remembered from his previous owner's memories that Wang Hanwen was his high school class monitor, and they had privately chatted about a class reunion.
Wang Hanwen was momentarily stunned, and the hoodie-wearing young man, sensing something was off, glared at him with anger and a threatening look.
"Kid, get lost!"
"If you don't leave in ten seconds, I'll make you regret it."
Boom!
With a sidekick, the young man was sent flying backward, foaming at the mouth as he fell and rolled several times.
"Damn, Da Qiang!"
A shout came from a distance, likely from his companion.
Urgent footsteps followed, and a switchblade reflected a vicious glint in mid-air.
On the ground, Wang Hanwen's face changed as she tried to warn them.
However, in the next second, a large and imposing figure cast a shade over her.
A thick hand casually reached out, avoiding the blade and grabbing the man by the back of his head.
Then, with a powerful slam—
Boom!
The sound of impact was sharp and loud, echoing in all directions.
The rusty metal of the streetlight bent inward, and with a clink, the switchblade fell helplessly.
The atmosphere turned eerily quiet. The two looters had their eyes rolled back, their scalps bleeding as they fell unconscious on the spot.
In an instant, the surrounding bystanders froze, staring in shock as if witnessing a wild beast.
[Fear +1!]
[Fear +1!]
[Fear +1!]
The panel flashed with prompts, but they didn't last long.
Chen Feng glanced at the other pedestrians, who were quickly fleeing in panic, then looked down at the frail figure on the ground.
"Can you stand up?"
There was a brief silence.
"Ah! Yes! I can!"
Wang Hanwen quickly stood up, shakily adjusting her thick glasses. Her face was a mixture of relief, shock, and confusion.
"Thank you, thank you for saving me."
"Um... Excuse me, are you... Chen Feng?"
"Yes."
Chen Feng nodded indifferently.
Wang Hanwen stood frozen, her mouth slightly open, as if she couldn't believe it.
"It's really you!?"
This was the same timid, introverted high school classmate?
Chen Feng didn't answer.
Instead, he sensed something and looked up toward the sky.
Wang Hanwen, slightly stunned, instinctively turned her head.
Tall buildings stretched into the sky, and the sunset was near.
It seemed like an ordinary scene, but a strong sense of confusion rose in the air.
Suddenly, a loud roar pierced the air. Several flying vehicles rushed from the sky, flashing blue and red lights.
Tear gas grenades followed, raining down on the area.
Within seconds, more than a dozen heavily armed security personnel landed on the ground, quickly securing the scene.
Seeing this, Chen Feng's gaze narrowed, and once again, he spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.
(End of the Chapter)
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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.