Translator: CinderTL
Thud!
The sound of leather shoes striking the floor echoed through the United Coalition Building. The tall, muscular black-robed youth retracted his indifferent gaze and continued walking forward at a steady pace.
The several Red Wave Energy Security Personnel standing in his path wore grim expressions and instinctively stepped aside. Secretary Liu, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, opened his mouth to speak but ultimately remained silent.
Thud!
Thud!!
The footsteps faded as the black-robed youth brushed past them and exited the building.
Nearby, some shook their heads while others whispered among themselves. Cao Tong, though puzzled, didn't ask any questions and quickly opened the rear door of the black car.
Vroom!
The black car immediately started and drove away.
Watching the vehicle depart, Secretary Liu's expression shifted. He could only lead the Security Personnel back to their aircraft and initiate a communication request.
"Boss, it failed."
"He didn't accept our invitation to collaborate."
As the words fell silent, Han Mingchuan, who had already left, showed no surprise on the other end of the line.
"These Pinnacle Realm Masters are all so arrogant."
"Let it go."
With the order given, Secretary Liu nodded repeatedly.
Then, a surge of air currents lifted the aircraft into the sky, carrying it away.
Having likely overheard keywords like "biological experiments," Chen Feng, seated in the black car, retracted his Perception and stared ahead with an indifferent gaze.
His enhanced Perception was particularly sensitive to emotions, especially those of ordinary people who hadn't cultivated martial arts or activated Force Field protection.
The more they emphasized it, the more they were trying to hide something. Chen Feng suspected Red Wave Energy was using his blood for special biological genetic research.
This didn't surprise him. Biological Modification had always existed.
In the past, they used Primordial Creature Blood Essence or the weaker blood of ferocious beasts and birds for experiments.
Now, martial arts had gained significant attention due to Liu Duanyun, potentially opening a new path to individual transcendence.
Naturally, powerful Martial Artists would become targets of interest.
Shaking off these thoughts, Chen Feng looked out the window at the bustling street below, where numerous shops and restaurants were already sending up plumes of smoke and fragrant aromas.
While Red Wave Energy was powerful, it wasn't his primary concern.
"Luo Wantao..."
Chu Shihong's warning flashed through his mind again, along with a message from Lin Hao on his phone.
He was certain Lin Hao had uncovered a crucial clue and was closing in on him.
So...
"He can't be allowed to live."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he gazed at the mark on his palm.
The black crow's eyes were unusually deep, and the emerald Talent Light Orb was its most crucial feature.
The Hurricane Lord's appearance at the time had been highly suspicious, and Chen Feng had always suspected he had relied on this power.
Furthermore, considering the Blood Moon Flower blooming in the Ironwood Forest, he believed the Talent Light Orb might involve special abilities related to life's fundamental levels. It could potentially allow him to conceal a new identity.
If he could obtain it, his future actions would no longer implicate others.
With this resolve, his gaze returned to its depths, calm and focused.
When the black car returned to the Martial Hall, Chen Feng received a call from Lin Hao.
"You know, right?"
Lin Hao's familiar voice held a hint of worry. Chen Feng nodded.
"Why don't you go north? The Saint Sect has been inviting you for a while now. I hear they have close ties with Red City. If you agreed..."
"No need."
Chen Feng shook his head, cutting Lin Hao off. He understood this was his friend's concern and a seemingly reasonable suggestion.
But...
"I have a plan. Don't worry."
With these brief reassurances, he hung up the phone, solidifying his resolve.
Alone in his Meditation Chamber, he sat cross-legged.
The legendary imprint in his mind flickered, and all his Martial Arts True Skills transformed into radiant light, permanently etched within him.
Reflecting, comprehending, adapting...
During this process, he sensed a connection to the Soul Flame, and Gata's delayed, frame-skipping memories flashed before his eyes.
Finally, as dusk deepened, he closed his eyes once more and entered a dream.
Splash!!
Under the blazing sun of daylight, a wave surged, its cresting foam tumbling.
Specks of sunlight struggled to penetrate the deep ocean's depths, where seaweed swayed between mud and gray sand.
Buzz!
Suddenly, two adult-sized, cerulean eyes materialized out of thin air.
It was as if a colossal creature had awakened, stirring the water with a splash.
Nearby fish scattered in terror, and crabs scurried for cover.
Yet amidst this terrifying spectacle, a figure cloaked in a black trench coat strolled along the seabed, slowly approaching the awakening behemoth.
"Sha!!"
A chorus of cheers erupted as several tentacles waved, stirring up a cloud of seabed dust.
Amidst the commotion, flashes of silver light flickered. Chen Feng clearly saw several silver coins hidden within a crevice in the reef behind.
"You've grown again," Chen Feng said, reaching the giant cerulean eyes. He raised his hand and gently stroked the octopus's skull-shaped head.
Under the shroud of Perception, even in the pitch-black depths of the ocean, he could see everything clearly.
Gata had grown to seventeen meters in size, and its aura was nearing the Sixth-Tier level.
"Sha!"
The Soul Flame allowed normal communication between the man and the beast. Gata indicated that it had hunted many sea beasts in recent days.
Furthermore, a tentacle reached out, pointing to an object it had just spat out of its mouth.
It was a black cord, with a special, fifteen-centimeter-long conch shell attached. The shell was yellowish-white with faint gold carvings—none other than the Extraordinary Artifact, the Ocean Spiral.
"Oh?"
Surprised, Chen Feng understood what Gata meant.
The Ocean Spiral seemed to suit it perfectly. After wearing it continuously for two or three months, its growth had accelerated slightly. It was as if the Ocean Spiral was drawing some power from the ocean and feeding it back to Gata, manifesting as a subtle warmth.
"Looks like it's a perfect match for you."
Nodding, Chen Feng quickly accepted this. He had noticed hints of this possibility before, that the Ocean Spiral might trigger an effect to accelerate the growth of sea beast bloodlines. Now that it had actually happened, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
He briefly examined the Ocean Spiral before returning it.
The black rope was the same one used to secure the Red Dragon's Tooth—remarkably sturdy.
It seemed to be made of some precious material, but had no connection to the Red Dragon and lacked any special aura. He decided to keep it and casually gave it to Gata.
He then prepared to head to Hurricane Island.
But soon, a distant crashing sound reached his ears.
He amplified his Perception and looked in that direction.
Across the vast, endless ocean, a formidable fleet was sailing towards him.
The crimson banner of the Red Dragon Family fluttered in the wind, its decks filled with solemnity and ironclad resolve.
A dozen multi-masted sailing ships clustered together, heavy cannons lined their sides, and stern-faced sailors and imperial soldiers stood at attention.
"The Red Dragon Family, eh?"
Chen Feng narrowed his eyes, unsurprised.
He had entered the Dead Crow Secret Realm earlier to alleviate his mental fatigue.
There, through Lei Long and Tulin, he had already learned about the aftermath of the Hurricane Lord's manor incident.
Since that event, the Hurricane Lord had remained hidden.
Though some chaos had erupted on the island, and even pirates had arrived, hoping to take advantage of the situation, the kingdom's army had quickly intervened, stabilizing the situation.
Many people were whispering that the Hurricane Lord had already died that night.
As for him, the Steel Kingdom's most wanted criminal, he had already sent shockwaves through the royal capital, prompting the issuance of an even higher-level wanted order.
In terms of notoriety, he was no less infamous than the Three Kings and Seven Generals, the most notorious pirates on the sea, capable of silencing crying children.
"To travel all the way from the distant Southern Continent... it seems the Red Dragon Family won't rest until they capture me."
The thought flashed through Chen Feng's mind, but he didn't dwell on it. His sole objective was to obtain the Emerald Light Orb. These people didn't know his true identity, nor could they have predicted that he would return to Hurricane Island.
He quickly dismissed the matter, sensing an anomaly in his Perception. He immediately retracted it.
Moments later, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from the Red Dragon Family's fleet, violently sweeping across the area.
Gata trembled, quickly shrinking behind a reef for cover. But Chen Feng patted its head, signaling it to remain still. He was confident that his Perception wouldn't be easily detected.
And then...
Boom!!
A violent muffled sound suddenly erupted, as a massive black vortex materialized on the sea's surface.
The sudden commotion was utterly unexpected, but Chen Feng had already sensed the anomaly. He retracted his Perception and watched silently from the seabed.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The sound of explosions echoed repeatedly as massive, black whirlpools, each over ten meters wide, materialized.
In a matter of breaths, the Red Dragon Family's fleet was completely surrounded, and a powerful suction force erupted from the whirlpools.
"Enemy attack!!"
"Brace for combat!!!"
Shouts rang out across the fleet. Sailors raised their rifles, aiming left and right, while others prepared to ignite the cannons.
At the same time, heavily armored knights with swords drawn emerged, and powerful Sequencers took their positions on the decks.
The initial chaos was quickly suppressed, replaced by calm. Everyone knew who was in command on board.
Buzz!!
Instantly, the overwhelming pressure emanating from the ship's cabin transformed into an invisible force.
The surrounding black whirlpools were forcibly frozen in place. Then, the seawater surged, filling them until the surface returned to calm.
Narrowing his eyes, Chen Feng realized something was amiss.
Boom!!
A water column erupted from the front of the fleet, and a new black whirlpool appeared, shattering some kind of power seal.
Then, a Gate of Bones slowly rose from within the whirlpool, emerging into the black vortex.
"This..."
The Sequencers within the fleet's ranks widened their eyes, their expressions shifting.
Then, the black vortex rapidly expanded, engulfing an area spanning dozens of meters.
Black shadows, like evil spirits, drifted out from it, quickly transforming the surrounding sky into a gloomy, ghostly realm.
Simultaneously, tattered white skeletons with phosphorescent eyes swarmed toward the fleet like locusts.
"It's the Admiral of the Infernal Prison!!"
"Open fire!!"
The powerful Sequencers within the fleet roared in fury, and someone immediately gave the order to fire.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fleet's cannons roared, and rifles blazed.
All the skeletal skeletons were reduced to fragments, but the black shadows, the evil spirits drifting through the air, were completely unaffected by the cannon fire, passing straight through the shells and onto the ships.
Just as they were about to slaughter the terrified sailors,
Boom!!!
An Extraordinary Artifact within the fleet was activated, and three Fifth-Tier Sequencers took action.
A pillar of flame shot into the sky, transforming into an unstoppable explosive force that vaporized most of the evil spirits.
The few that managed to slip through the gaps were quickly dealt with by lower-tier Sequencers.
Watching this unfold in silence, Chen Feng was surprised by the Red Dragon Family's discipline and training.
Immediately, a cold voice echoed from within the black vortex, reverberating across the sea.
"Glide, aren't you going to show yourself?"
Buzz!!
As the words fell, a black light suddenly erupted from the Gate of Bones, a portal of white bones shrouded in countless Black Shadows.
Moments later, several black knights, each riding a skeletal warhorse with phosphorescent eyes and clad in black iron armor, charged forward with swords drawn. They leaped from the sea's surface, soaring through the air toward the fleet.
Their auras were exceptionally powerful, all at the Fifth-Tier level.
The towering pillars of flame failed to repel them, leaving many Sequencers pale-faced.
At this critical moment, a cold snort echoed from the central cabin. The surrounding seawater instantly condensed in mid-air, forming a colossal Ocean Giant dozens of meters tall. The giant then unleashed a barrage of devastating punches.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
The powerful blows churned the water vapor, sending towering columns of water shooting skyward.
The black knights riding skeletal warhorses were shattered and sent flying backward. Rain, dense as bullets, rained down, piercing and obliterating countless evil spirits.
Then, with a creak, the wooden door of the cabin swung open, revealing a slender figure in a blue-patterned Mage robe, holding a silver staff.
His hair was gray and white, and his goatee was meticulously trimmed.
His deep eyes seemed to hold the vastness of the ocean, yet his wrinkled face remained calm.
"I knew you would come."
"So what?"
The Gate of Bones within the black vortex spoke. Upon closer inspection, a black evil spirit materialized, transforming into a middle-aged man clad in black bone armor.
The armor was stained with fresh blood and studded with grotesque bone spikes.
The middle-aged man's ponytail face was unforgettable, for half of it was devoid of flesh, revealing bone and phosphorescent eyesockets.
"This appearance is all thanks to you."
"Hell Prison... Heh, if it weren't for you, how could I have become a true Admiral of the Infernal Prison?"
As the words fell, countless evil spirits suddenly swarmed forward.
Simultaneously, a serpentine, colossal figure within the Gate of Bones began to descend.
It resembled a dragon's claw and a serpent's body.
The very air above the sea trembled, and the crew aboard the fleet felt the pressure intensify, their faces paling in unison.
"You dare control a Bone Dragon?"
The Saint of the Mage Sequence, Glide, wore a grave expression. Abandoning all pretense, he unleashed a blinding pillar of light from his silver scepter.
"Anything is worth it if it means killing you!!"
Buzz!!!
In an instant, the Gate of Bones flared with a dark glow, as if a Bone Dragon from the depths of the abyss was about to descend.
Under the overwhelming pressure, the silver scepter's radiant light exploded into a blinding flash, then struck down like a bolt of thunder.
Boom!!!
The muffled thunder shook the heavens, sending waves crashing across the sea.
Finally, the evil spirit vanished, and the vortex disappeared.
The waves gradually calmed, and both the Gate of Bones and the fearsome, bone-armored Admiral of the Infernal Prison vanished without a trace.
The crew of the fleet breathed a collective sigh of relief, their hearts pounding with the aftershock of their near-death experience. Some turned to the Elder Mage, seeking confirmation.
"Master Saint, the Admiral of the Infernal Prison..."
"He escaped."
Glide, his Mage robes billowing, shook his head with a hint of regret.
He had used himself as bait, laying a trap under the guise of the Red Dragon Family incident. But in the end, he had fallen just short.
He hadn't expected his opponent to be so audacious as to summon a Bone Dragon, completely unafraid of the soul backlash.
The thought flashed through his mind, and he glanced at the azure sea, as if he could see the abyss lurking beneath the surface.
And just now...
Was that a hallucination?
(End of the Chapter)
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