Translator: Cinder Translations
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That evening, Chen Yun spoke at length.
Mostly giving instructions and reminders.
Chen Feng mostly nodded and listened, until late into the night, when he finally washed up and returned to his bedroom.
Click!
The door closed, he took a few steps and lay down on the bed.
"Central City."
This was probably the umpteenth time he had heard that term. Over time, Chen Feng found himself feeling a bit curious about it.
After a moment of thought, he pushed aside his distractions.
Feeling a slight sense of drowsiness, he fortunately cleared his mind and lay flat in his position.
Gradually, his balance shifted.
He opened his eyes, suddenly realizing something was wrong.
"This is..."
His face slightly changed as Chen Feng found that he was still in his room.
Everything was dim, the soft mattress beneath him, and the overhead light was off.
It seemed like he hadn't fallen asleep, only that the lights in the room were turned off.
"Something's wrong!"
Suddenly, his senses expanded, and he noticed something unusual.
The whole room was eerily quiet and still, as though everything in the darkness had frozen.
The curtains were completely still, and the phone beside him had a black screen, but he couldn't touch it.
Even in the next room, when he expanded his senses, he couldn't sense Chen Yun's presence.
Everything felt completely different from usual, and before Chen Feng could fully process it...
Roar!!
A massive roar reverberated through the air, filled with anger and coldness.
Instinctively, Chen Feng turned his head towards the window, looking toward the southeast.
The black mist surged, and faintly, a giant mythical creature, resembling a serpent or a dragon, seemed to be coiling and thrashing in the mist, venting its fury from afar.
Roar!
The enraged roar continued, and violent winds swept through, causing the mist to ripple like a tide.
Chen Feng's pupils contracted, and soon, he noticed the residual wind blowing through the area, causing the windows of the buildings in the neighborhood to shake and the houses to tremble.
His face turned pale, and his expression became grave.
He had never encountered a situation like this before.
Not daring to make any movements, he could only stay in his room and wait for the roar to subside.
It was unclear how long it lasted, perhaps tens of minutes, or even hours.
The darkness in the room deepened, and the mist outside swirled, slowly creeping through the cracks into the room.
Gradually, the world began to spin, and everything shifted.
He finally entered the familiar dreamscape.
----
"Damn it, two of them escaped."
In the abandoned warehouse in the outskirts, Wu Shuang's face darkened, and the black-clad youth beside him had a similar expression.
What was supposed to be a foolproof plan to annihilate the members of the Serpent Spirit Sect in their hideout had unexpectedly failed. They had set up contingency measures, managing to slip through their grasp.
"What do we do next?" Wu Shuang asked, his breath slightly erratic.
"We'll handle it," the black-clad youth said, shaking his head. Soon, they began to clean up the battlefield.
Around them, the bodies of the black-robed serpent men lay on the ground, and the smell of gunpowder lingered.
Besides that, around the pools of blood, countless serpent remains could be seen wriggling and twitching.
"What exactly happened just now?"
In the dream world, Chen Feng appeared once again in the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
Remembering the situation when he entered the dream, his mind was full of confusion.
What was that roar?
And why did the environment look exactly like his neighborhood, but at the same time, feel eerily different?
"Could it be that it was a dream about the real world?"
A sudden guess rose in Chen Feng's mind, and he found it hard to believe.
It was the first time he had encountered such a situation, and no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't find an answer.
Eventually, he took a deep breath.
Looking down at the incomplete legacy iron book in his hand, he could only suppress his wandering thoughts and set the issue aside for now.
"I'll deal with it next time."
Exhaling, Chen Feng glanced around the quiet room in the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
It was exactly as it was before he left, and he was certain that he had truly entered the dream world of Qinggang City.
Then, he remembered his previous plan.
He searched the martial hall for a moment, finally finding a paper map.
He walked up to it and unfolded it completely, it was more than a meter wide.
Qinggang City
Six Major Districts: White Tower District, Blue Light District...
The map was fairly complete, clearly showing the internal terrain of Qinggang City.
The five major districts surrounded the White Tower District, forming a circular city with high defensive walls.
From his current position, Chen Feng deduced that he was in the leftmost area of the Blue Light District, toward the southwest.
"Qinggang City seems to be quite large."
Looking at the map's scale, Chen Feng estimated that Qinggang City was at least ten times larger than the districts of Nanjiang City.
And the area he had already explored on the map was probably less than one-thousandth of it.
"Let's take it one step at a time, I'll first look for the nearest martial hall."
Chen Feng had many plans for exploring the dream world.
Since the Limit-Breaking Light Orbs were the remnants of martial artists' wills, there should be an abundance of martial arts halls in the city.
Plus, maybe he could acquire some new skills.
With that in mind, Chen Feng took another look at the map, marking down the nearby locations and routes.
He rolled the map up and put it in a black backpack he found in the martial hall, along with the incomplete iron book and the broken copper plate he had obtained last time.
He felt like these items would be useful in the future, so he packed them together just in case.
Tap tap!
He left the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
Chen Feng looked at the road outside.
The mist enveloped both sides, and he chose to head south.
About seven or eight kilometers away, there was another branch of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
Buzz!
Immediately, as if responding to his decision, the mist in the southeast parted slightly, revealing a new area and road.
Expanding his senses, Chen Feng moved along the road; Though he was determined to go to the martial arts hall, he would not miss any Limit-Breaking Light Orbs along the way.
His footsteps echoed under the streetlights, and his shadow stretched long in the dim light.
Soon...
The surrounding mist moved, and strange noises began to rise.
Prepared for this, Chen Feng turned his head to look.
Seven faceless individuals, their auras all close to the amateur seventh rank, stood in his path.
Bang bang bang bang!
Explosive fists, and air tearing kicks!
Hungry Tiger Leaps the Gorge, the fist technique of the Flame Tiger Stance was unleashed.
In just a few seconds, the battle was over, and the ground was littered with black marks and gray light orbs.
Buzz!
[Talent: Perception LV2 (43/100)]
"Not bad."
The progress had increased by 14%, and Chen Feng nodded in satisfaction.
Then, he turned his gaze away and quickened his pace.
Before reaching the new Extreme Martial Arts Hall, he noticed a single-story detached villa building that caught his attention.
Tap tap.
He approached.
Red bricks, white paint, the building had a retro style.
The central door was a deep red color, about two to three meters high and three meters wide.
With a gentle push, it creaked open.
The interior was dark, and the lights were off.
Using his senses, Chen Feng found four light red Limit-Breaking Light Orbs in the bedroom and study.
Adding to the previous ones,
[Limit-Break Points: 7]
The panel appeared, and Chen Feng finally focused on the Flame Tiger Stance section.
[Flame Tiger Stance: Tiger Form (54%) +]
"Level up!"
He silently spoke the words, consuming five Limit-Breaking Orbs, causing the stance's progress to surge!
All insights flooded in, and a hot current surged through his limbs, quickly tempering his skin and flesh.
In the blink of an eye, the information before Chen Feng changed.
[Flame Tiger Stance: Tiger Roar (1%) +]
[Strength: 11.4 → 12.1]
[Agility: 10.7 → 11.1]
[Constitution: 11.3 → 12.0]
[Will: 11.0 → 11.5]
"2.3 attribute boost?"
Chen Feng's gaze hardened as he moved his body.
The sounds of cracking filled the air, and he could clearly feel that his physical abilities had improved significantly.
With a casual punch, he felt that his strength had reached around 250 to 260 kilograms, comparable to a professional level three.
If he were to use Cao Tong's words, he would now be considered to have reached the "bone training" stage in the martial arts world.
"And my physique... it feels much stronger."
"Not just in terms of stamina and endurance, but also in terms of defense."
With his eyes slightly squinted, using his perception talent, Chen Feng could clearly detect all the changes in his body.
His skin and flesh had tightened, almost as if an additional layer of membrane had formed inside.
This could not only be used to rebound and dissipate force, but also to resist attacks from sharp weapons.
He acted on impulse, and, since he was in the dream world, Chen Feng immediately took a dagger from his waist and slashed at his forearm.
Whoosh!
A white scar appeared, but it was only because he controlled the force, not using all of his strength.
He kept gradually increasing the pressure, when it reached 260 kilograms, the blade barely broke through a bit of skin.
"As expected."
Chen Feng nodded to himself, satisfied.
He had heard Cao Tong say that the Flaming Tiger Stance was more of a foundational martial arts technique. While it could refine the skin, flesh, and bones, it was far less effective in terms of defense compared to other body strengthening techniques.
However, the fact that breaking through to the "Tiger's Roar" stage resulted in such a change was already quite impressive.
"Wait a minute."
"Body strengthening techniques?"
Suddenly, Chen Feng's gaze shifted, and he thought of something.
It was also something he had overlooked until now.
After reaching the highest level of martial arts, one would be fearless of bullets.
So what if he trained in body strengthening techniques in advance?
After all, if the Flaming Tiger Stance alone had such an effect, the body strengthening techniques would surely be even more terrifying.
With the Limit-Breaking Light Orbs, he was bound to break through faster than others.
As the thought emerged, it quickly took root in his mind, and he couldn't shake it off.
This could be the best method to make him bulletproof 24/7, unlike the Azure Armor talent.
"Tomorrow!"
"I'll ask Brother Cao then, and see if there's a chance to learn body strengthening techniques!"
Chen Feng was filled with anticipation, then he looked at the remaining three Limit-Breaking Orbs, instead of hastily using them, he decided to save them for later.
Eventually, he left the place and continued heading toward the next branch of Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
His luck was poor, and he didn't encounter any new Limit-Breaking Orbs along the way.
The mist dispersed, and the world spun.
Soon, he returned to reality.
"7:05 AM."
Looking at his phone, Chen Feng got out of bed and opened the curtains.
The weather was clear, and the sunlight was bright.
The blue sky and white clouds hung before him, and the vast scenery made him feel emotional.
He quickly checked his phone for news about the events from the previous night, but there was no mention or discussion.
It was as if his encounter had been nothing but an illusion.
"The roar clearly came from some non-human creature."
"And the massive figure I could feel from far away, writhing and coiled—almost like a serpent."
His gaze hardened as Chen Feng suddenly remembered the serpent men.
"It couldn't be right...?"
His heart tightened. It felt like he had grasped something crucial, but couldn't break through the vague barrier.
Finally, he sighed.
Seeing that it was getting late, he suppressed his thoughts and got ready.
Soon, he had breakfast with Chen Yun and left the neighborhood together.
There were no words exchanged on the way, and he finally arrived at the Jinhua District branch of the martial arts hall.
Students came in and out, and Chen Feng went to the changing room to change into the new clothes Chen Yun had bought for him.
"You're pretty early today."
Lin Hao said with a smile, slinging a black designer sports bag over his shoulder.
"Same as usual."
After changing into his training clothes, Chen Feng asked about the situation at the club.
"It's all basically settled. Today, two or three boxing coaches are coming for interviews."
"Also, the opening ceremony yesterday went well, and seven or eight people have already signed up for membership."
Lin Hao said with a smile, and Chen Feng nodded.
"I'll come check it out tomorrow."
He had already communicated with the supermarket, and today was the last shift.
By then, he would have enough time to help at the club.
"Great, I'm looking forward to it."
Lin Hao smiled and nodded. The two of them walked into the training room together.
"Today's going to be a sparring session again. I really don't want to spar with Pei Yue."
"Shh, quiet."
"Chen Feng's here, god help us, we must not be matched with him."
Most of the students had already arrived in the room, and quiet discussions started.
Chen Feng froze when he heard. He suddenly remembered that today was the sparring session, held once every three days.
"How about you, do you think you can win against him?"
In the crowd, Pei Yue asked in a low voice, standing next to Wu Tian.
"He's no longer my match."
Wu Tian's face was confident as he clenched his fist, narrowing his eyes at the approaching Chen Feng.
The effect of the Tiger Leopard Pill was very powerful. After taking it, he was one step away from breaking through to the Tiger Roar realm.
He was close to reaching the professional level one threshold. He was confident that today, he would regain his honor by defeating Chen Feng.
Pei Yue heard this and felt a bit envious, probably understanding some of the inside story.
Just as he was about to speak, Cao Tong walked in, his footsteps steady.
---
"So, two of the cult members escaped?"
In the adjacent quiet room outside the training hall, the third elder, dressed in a gray robe, sat cross-legged on the wooden floor with a casual expression.
On the opposite side, Wu Shuang, wearing a light white outfit, poured tea for him.
"Yes."
"The disciples didn't expect that those serpent men had hidden cards, leading to the summoning of the Serpent Spirit. We let our guard down for a moment, allowing them to escape."
Her tone was calm, but there was a noticeable respect in her voice compared to before.
Though the direct disciples held equal status to the elders, the person before her was a senior in the sect, and his power was greater than hers.
"What about the United Coalition?"
"They are still investigating. I suspect there's more to this matter."
After hearing the explanation, the third elder's face remained neutral, neither cold nor warm.
"What are your plans moving forward?"
"Since the serpent men haven't been eliminated, I plan to stay in Nanjiang for a while."
Wu Shuang remained composed, but the third elder lightly chuckled.
"Heh."
"Why do I feel like you have some ulterior motives?"
With a meaningful look, the third elder could clearly sense the presence of several disciples in the training room next door, including one whose aura was similar to his own.
In response, Wu Shuang remained silent for a moment but did not deny it.
After all, the third elder was a high-ranking member of the sect, and his information was not something Cao Tong or others could match.
With the sect leader about to leave seclusion, the matter of accepting personal disciples was bound to be known by him.
"Wu Tian is the only son of my older brother. He has good talent and potential."
"Both for the sect and personally, I should guide him to help the sect grow stronger."
With that, the third elder's expression became even more neutral.
Thinking of what Cao Tong had said last time, he seized the moment to speak, offering a reminder.
"That disciple recommended by Xiao Cao..."
"Martial arts enlightenment is not some cabbage. Some things need to be verified multiple times overs."
"Third Elder, what do you think?"
Wu Shuang smiled faintly, finally taking control of the conversation.
Upon hearing this, the third elder glanced at her and gently shook his head.
At that moment, a noise came from the training room next door, and Wu Shuang felt something amiss. She quickly expanded her senses to check.
(End of the Chapter)
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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.