Translator: CinderTL
Buzz!
A blurred image materialized, shrouded in a hazy white mist.
A wide river bisected the city's edge, with countless figures in ancient robes or casual attire milling about the ancient towns lining its banks.
A solid blueFlying Dragondescended with overwhelming force, its presence bearing down like a mountain.
Yet, amidst the surging river, a figure in black robes walked across the water, theFlame Tigerclose behind. With a pair of iron fists, he shattered theFlying Dragonand overturned its supposed dominance.
"This is..."
Chen Feng's gaze sharpened as the other light spots in his mind began to scatter in rapid succession.
The golden-armored figure inYun Port, unstoppable as a tidal wave, had single-handedly stormed a hundred-meter skyscraper under theSky Eye's surveillance, destroyed a helicopter, and beheaded theCouncil Speaker's son with a single sword strike.
Despite being surrounded by layers of encirclement, he had calmly walked away unscathed.Then came the battle atXiang Mountain, where, before reaching thePinnacle Realm, he had repelled aSaint SectElderwith a single punch and killed theDivine Martial Alliance'sPseudo-Pinnacle RealmGrand Protector with two fists, stabilizing themartial artslandscape in the south.
During his subsequent journey throughSuro,Xing's reputation overshadowed the entire nation. Even when theBlack Tidestruck, she didn't retreat a single step. Instead, she surged forward against the tide, standing before ten thousand people.
She eliminated theModifiedand destroyed theModified Humans.
The prestige of beingBeyond Grandmasterpoured over her, and her power, suspected to be at thePinnacle Realm, crushed her enemies.
Each past experience seemed to transform into a mark, leaving a profound impression like a legend.
Every survivor remembered and sang the two-character name associated with these events.
Furthermore, herPerceptionexpanded, allowing her to glimpse other, even more blurred points of light.
It felt as though a world barrier existed, an insurmountable chasm blocking everything.
Yet,Chen Fengstill saw faint images of his time in theSerpent Spirit Secret Realmand theDead Crow Secret Realm.
He destroyed a tribe and aided theHoly City.
He killed aDukeand battled aSaint.
Onlookers gasped in amazement, the legends surrounding these events etched indelibly in their memories.
In a daze,Chen Fengsensed a subtle, almost imperceptible connection forming between himself and the real world.
It was as if the entire world had remembered him, making it impossible to forget him easily.
"So... this is what it means to become a legend?"
Coming to his senses,Chen Fengcarefully considered the implications.
This wasn't blind speculation, but rather a deduction based on the fragmented memoriesChen Fenghad received in theQinggang City Dreamscape.
Transcendencerequired leaving a powerful mark through sufficient legends, transforming into aWorld Imprintetched into the world.
Only by resonating with the world on this foundation could one avoid easily losing their way or being assimilated by the world and reduced to ashes.
"Legends often require reaching the limits of the human body, and only those who dare to take that step can perceive them."
"But why am I experiencing this so much earlier?"
Chen Fengsensed something amiss. His situation clearly deviated from themartial artsrecords ofQinggang City.
But then, recalling the changes he had undergone before sensing the legends, he relaxed.
"It's because of thePerceptionupgrade."
"It's not just about perceiving external objects anymore. I now have a vague, preliminary sense of intangible legend traces andWorld Imprints."
Lost in thought,Chen Fengroughly grasped the connection.
He didn't dwell on this further, instead focusing on carefully sensing the legends he had left behind.
The scenes fromEarthwere the most vivid, and it was through these that he felt a faint connection to the real world.
As for theSerpent Spirit Secret Realmand theDead Crow Secret Realm, their presence was much more ambiguous. However, thanks to the commotion he had caused, he had still managed to sense them.
"Normally, legends require considerable time and accumulation to undergo their initial qualitative transformation and leave behind aWorld Imprint."
"But I took a shortcut, relying on theDream Realm's assistance."
Chen Fengonce again felt the difference between himself and ordinary people.
TheDream Realm's time flow was not equivalent toEarth's, making it the perfect way for him to save time.
"Still, it's not enough."
"I've only gained an initial sense of them. I need to continue accumulating."
"Moreover, theDream Realmis notEarth. There's a certain barrier between the two worlds, so I can't rely solely on theDream Realm's power."
After carefully reflecting,Chen Fenggrasped the key.
Legends were the foundation of the resonance world. The stronger they were, the more solid theWorld Imprintwould be.
TheDream Realmcould shorten the time needed to accumulate legends, but it should never lead him to neglect the path of reality.
Otherwise, theWorld Imprintof his legends in reality might become shallow and unable to support hisTranscendence.
Suddenly, clarity dawned.
Chen Fengrealized that the most correct path lay in advancing both reality and theDream Realmin tandem.
Without further delay, he suppressed his lingering speculations.
He immediately focused his mind and turned his attention to the panel before him.
[Extreme Martial Arts: 3]
[Limit Breaking Orbs: 21]
The gains from last night'sQinggang City Dreamscapehad broughtFalling Sunto its peak. He couldn't advance further without reachingTranscendence.
As for theGolden Dawn Art, theGolden Body Manualwas incomplete, and breaking downExtreme Martial Artsto add points would be too wasteful.
His gaze drifted downward, settling on theHeavenly Aura Overlord Body.
[Heavenly Aura Overlord Body:Mighty Arms(1%)+]
"Enhance!"
Buzz!
In an instant, all hisExtreme Martial ArtsandLimit Breaking Orbswere consumed.
The remainingmartial artsinsights from theExtreme Martial Light Orbsurged forth, finally increasing theHeavenly Aura Overlord Body's progress.
"Yang, what do you think theLion Kingis really up to?"
In a city withinNiduo Country, concrete buildings stood shoulder to shoulder. Despite it being daytime, sunlight barely reached the area.
"First, he sealed off and hunted us. Now, he's lifted the blockade."
"And theWorld Fighting Tournament... it's being held right in theNiduo Kingdom's Capital."
The short-haired woman in a leather jacket spoke, appearing to be in her mid-thirties with brown eyes and wheat-colored skin.
Xingheld her black backpack in her hand as people streamed past on the bustling street.Yang Wudi, in his brown trench coat, didn't answer. Instead, he looked up at the concrete buildings across the street.
Grotesque demon masks with green faces and fangs were carved or spray-painted onto the concrete walls. Neon signs flickered red and green in the alleyways, and virtual light screens projected images that gathered in the air like mist.
Dark-skinned figures moved through the street, their footsteps echoing on the uneven, potholed concrete. In some places, air conditioners dripped water.
Yet, despite this scene, if one looked up, they would see a cluster of ancient, red-roofed pavilions stretching across the sky, like a brand-new citybuilt atop the concrete buildings.
Occasionally, aFlying Carwould pierce through the neon lights and virtual projections, causing the crowd below to stop and stare in awe, their envy palpable.
"TheWorld Fighting Tournamenthas always been secretly organized by theStar Palace,"Yang Wudisaid calmly, a cigarette appearing between his lips.
The ember glowed, and smoke curled upward.
"That makes sense,"Xingreplied.
The short-haired woman with brown eyes, who had a rather dashing air about her, pondered for a moment before saying, "It's good enough if the two of us don't cause trouble. There's no point in him continuing the lockdown."
"But I'm curious,Yang. Do you think Liu will come?"
"I don't know."
Yang Wudishook his head, withdrawing his gaze from the distant horizon.
Across the street, several tattooed thugs exchanged glances and nodded subtly. They then advanced, circling them with clubs in hand.
The short-haired woman seemed oblivious, lost in thought for a moment before speaking again.
"What about that person you mentioned? Chen, right?"
"He should be close to reaching thePinnacle Realmby now, shouldn't he?"
"Perhaps he already has."
Yang Wudi's eyes flickered as he took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling a plume of smoke. "But I can't quite read him. These young upstarts these days..."
As they spoke, the tattooed thugs had already closed in.
One of them, with a fierce expression, was about to threaten them.
But in the next instant—
Click.
The sound of a bullet being chambered echoed as the short-haired woman, as if by magic, produced a Desert Eagle and pressed it against his chin.
"Lead the way."
Heavenly Aura Overlord Body:Mighty Arms(29%)
Inside theMartial Hall, the progress bar on the panel froze.Chen Fengwithdrew his gaze.
Without further delay, he changed into a black trench coat and stepped out of theMeditation Chamber.
The door to the room swung open, revealingCao Tongstanding in the doorway wearing a loose black hoodie.
"Junior Brother Chen, the car is ready."
"Alright, let's go."
Nodding,Chen Fengdescended the second floor, passed through the main hall, and headed straight for theMartial Hall's main entrance.
Every disciple and student he encountered along the way stopped respectfully to greet him. The title "Senior Brother" echoed throughout the hall until he stepped outside onto the smooth, gray stone-paved plaza.
A black sedan was parked at the curb, a driver in a suit sitting inside.
"Radiant Star Academy's temporary lab is located on the outskirts, apparently using part of the military's facilities."
"We should arrive in about thirty minutes,"Cao Tongsaid as he walked, then opened the car door.
Chen Fengnodded and settled into the back seat. Today, he was going to complete the experimental transaction withRadiant Star Academy.
In addition to the twoAdvanced Life Elixirs,Fang Mocuanhad also mentioned collaborating onmartial artsresearch projects related to theFlame Tiger Sectand a special research grant of ten million yuan. However, he would needChen Feng's help to complete these research projects.
As for his own strength, although he had expended considerable energy in theDream Realmand suffered some mental strain, he hadn't fully recovered yet.
But the display of power—the glimpse of strengthbeyond Grandmaster—was enough.
Vroom!!
With a roar, the engine ignited, and the black car merged into the main thoroughfare, weaving through the bustling traffic.
Towering buildings receded on either side, and a constant stream of pedestrians flowed past.
Glancing upward,Chen Fengnoticed a new skyscraper.
Blue Sky Group
AnotherMega Corporation?
The four steel characters of the company's sign hung atop the building, andChen Fengrealized thatNanjiang's rise as aCentral Citywas now unstoppable.
Then there was theCity Council. WithXu Heng's death, a seat had opened up.
During a casual conversation withChu Shihongyesterday,Chen Fenglearned that aMega Corporationhad approached him, seeking to negotiate for the vacant position.
Though he had declined, he heard the corporation had secretly approached otherCouncilors.
The implications were clear, and a subtle sense of urgency began to stir withinChen Feng.
Central City...Secret Realm...
The thought flashed through his mind as the black car continued its journey through the bustling streets, gradually reaching the former outskirts.
The towering buildings thinned out, replaced by factories that had sprung up on the once-barren land.
In the distance, a massive, gray-black wall loomed into view.
Towering over a hundred meters high even in its unfinished state, the wall already exuded an air of grandeur.
Nearby, numerous steel sheds had been erected, serving as temporary branch offices for various major corporations participating in theHigh-Wall Project. These housed construction workers.
Outside these corporate outposts, several housing developments were under construction, accompanied by restaurants, supermarkets, and mobile food vendors.
Amidst the bustling crowds, amilitary camphad been established near the wall's construction site.
Green iron mesh separated the camp from the outside world, surrounded by lush greenery. Steel barracks and makeshift tents dotted the cleared ground within.
The words "Military Restricted Zone" stood out prominently, and armed soldiers stood guard at the entrance checkpoint.
Yet, instead of the expected silence and solemnity, seven or eight figures stood before the military gate, poised and alert, as if awaiting an important person.
The personnel from the nearby major corporations and construction workers finishing their meals at the restaurants watched with curiosity and confusion, their murmurs growing louder.
Finally, a black sedan slowly approached.