Translator: CinderTL
Splash!
Waves churned, and the sea was restless.
The ship rose and fell, and the liquid in the glass bottle in Chen Feng's hand shimmered brilliantly.
Finally, sensing the gazes directed at him, Chen Feng suppressed the urge to enhance himself immediately and looked up at Adler, who remained vigilant in the distance.
After scanning the surroundings once more, he noticed the young girl's nervousness, the silver-armored knight's slight fear, and the trembling sailors, all seemingly awaiting an answer.
He had no enmity with these people. If he truly intended to kill, he wouldn't have let the Holy Shield Colossus remain a mere spectator.
"I owe you one," Chen Feng said to Adler.
Adler was taken aback, and the others were stunned.
In the next second.
Whoosh!!!
The Blood Wings flapped, and the figure vanished.
The wind and waves swept away all the dust, and by the time they looked up, the dark figure had already landed on the shoulder of the stone colossus.
In the blink of an eye, the massive stone wings stirred up a gale, and the figure and the colossus swiftly departed.
Witnessing this, everyone on the deck breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if they had narrowly escaped death.
"Master, are you alright?" The young woman in a gray cloak snapped out of her daze and hurried to support the old man, her expression tense./
"Cough, cough..." Adler coughed lightly, waving his hand to indicate he was fine.
With a wave, the dice on the ground were collected, and the shattered armor giant rapidly shrank, returning to the form of an ordinary clay figurine.
The blood-red gloves on his hands seemed to possess a certain sentience, disappearing along with the dice, gradually fading into nothingness.
This scene left everyone in awe, but recalling how even the formidable Master Adler had nearly been defeated, they couldn't help but feel dazed once more.
"Sigh..." Adler sighed, taking in the expressions of those around him.
As the figure in the sky disappeared completely, he sighed inwardly and said helplessly, "I never expected such a powerful individual to exist in the East Sea."
Even a seasoned fifth-tier Sequencer like him was no match.
If it hadn't been for the blood-red gloves and the use of the warrior sequence's Blink skill, he might have already been struck through the chest.
Still shaken, the others on the ship were equally terrified.
"Master, do you think that person could be the Blood Sea Vice Admiral?" the girl in the gray cloak asked curiously.
Fifth-tier Sequencers weren't common, especially in the East Sea, where strong individuals were few and far between.
"No, it's not him," Adler shook his head and answered firmly. "The Blood Sea Vice Admiral is a Crimson Sequencer. Even with an Extraordinary Artifact, he couldn't conceal his aura."
"That person must be a powerful stranger," Adler concluded.
Hearing this, the young woman in the gray cloak seemed thoughtful and didn't ask further.
Noticing a hint of indignation in her eyes, Adler sighed inwardly but chose not to discourage her.
She was his most promising student, and if this could motivate her further, it was for the best.
"Master Adler, are we still heading to Eaglefall Island?" the silver-armored guardian knight, who had been helped to his feet, asked as he approached.
"No, let's change course and head straight to Banli Port," Adler shook his head and gave the order, snapping everyone back to reality.
No one objected, knowing their current state wasn't suitable for further adventures on the island.
Soon, the fleet set sail once more, heading toward the mainland.
Adler watched Eaglefall Island grow distant with a hint of regret.
Turning his gaze to the other side, Banli Port grew closer, and the gray steam warships appeared like invincible war machines.
Many figures stood on the shore, waiting quietly. The flags of the Duke Charles family fluttered in the wind, and the outlines of soldiers on guard could be seen in the distance, along with a middle-aged noble standing with his children.
A massive black chimney stood in the city center, and though the sky above the city was somewhat gloomy, it was better than the rumors suggested.
Seeing this, the crew, who had just experienced a brush with death, regained their composure, feeling the warmth of the world once more.
Only Adler, thinking of the king's secret orders and the recent battle, felt a surge of worry.
The active Blood Sea Vice Admiral, the Charles family who obeyed orders but not summons, and the mysterious powerful figure who suddenly appeared in the East Sea.
Sighing, he couldn't help but feel concerned.
Was the kingdom's future about to face more turmoil?
Whoosh!!!
In another direction, the stone wings flapped, and a gale swept past.
[Heart of Glory LV3: 55/100]
[Azure Armor LV5: 28/100]
The panel information flashed before Chen Feng's eyes as he stood on the back of the Holy Shield Colossus, the dark armor on his body gradually dissipating.
He didn't pay much attention to the slow progress of his talents, as the greatest gain from this trip wasn't these.
Then, his gaze shifted downward.
He looked at the small glass bottle in his hand.
The previous panel prompt hadn't disappeared, so Chen Feng didn't delay, silently uttering two words.
"Convert!"
"Enhance!"
Whoosh!
In an instant, the light from the liquid in his hand dimmed and vanished, followed by a surge of energy entering his body.
A cool sensation rose, rushing into his mind, as if his skull had been opened.
His consciousness became clearer and stronger, and the panel reappeared, displaying his four attributes.
[Strength: 55.6]
[Agility: 41.6]
[Constitution: 57.6]
[Willpower: 45.7→46.7→46.8]
His willpower attribute was steadily increasing. Chen Feng knew that the Gate of Spirit, which had hindered him for days, had finally been breached, beginning its transformation.
Though he had borrowed external forces, the essence was the same—strengthening his mind and will.
The fierce wind continued to blow, his coat fluttering as Chen Feng carefully sensed the changes brought by the transformation.
His thoughts were clearer, his spirit stronger...
But more importantly, he could feel his body's efficiency improving.
For instance, before, he could unleash the Mighty Arms, combining it with the Azure Armor to deliver a punch exceeding a hundred tons.
However, much of that power would dissipate upon impact.
Now, he had a strong intuition.
He could gradually control and focus that dissipating power.
The effect was evident—the same punch would now cause significantly more damage, even doubling its destructive force.
"This transformation will likely take several days," Chen Feng concluded, then decided to take a detour and return to Banli Port from another direction.
His time in this world was running out, and he would soon return to Earth.
But before that, he wanted to give Lei Long a few more instructions, asking him to investigate the Mermaid's clues further and secure more resources for the Steel Bone Talent.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, he felt a stir in his heart.
The Holy Shield Colossus transmitted a mental wave, showing some resistance to the island on the left.
Chen Feng wasn't surprised, as the colossus had communicated similarly when they had come here to lie in wait.
Eaglefall Island—rumored to be a place where all flying creatures, including objects, would fall.
The island had an invisible force that suppressed life. Few creatures lived there, and ordinary people who set foot on the island would experience immense pressure, even to the point of exploding.
Shaking his head, Chen Feng had no intention of delving deeper. He had deliberately chosen to avoid it earlier, not wanting to risk exploring it.
But the next second.
A faint glint caught his eye, and he glanced at the island.
In the sparse forest at the island's center, there was a small lake that seemed connected to the ocean, its water color similar to the sea.
But that wasn't the main point.
Because, above the lake, a faint blue light was suspended.
From a distance, it was hard to make out, but based on its outline, it seemed oval-shaped, about the size of a human head, emitting a faint glow.
In an instant, Chen Feng's eyes narrowed, and he was filled with disbelief.
"A talent orb?"
Did this world, like the dreamscape of Qinggang City, also have talent orbs?
Was this place really a dream?
Thoughts raced through his mind, and the intuition of returning grew stronger.
Chen Feng didn't have time to investigate further and immediately ordered the Holy Shield Colossus to hurry toward Eaglefall Island.
Whoosh!!!
The stone wings flapped, and the gale intensified.
At this moment, whether it was the Mermaid or the Gate of Spirit, all thoughts were pushed aside by Chen Feng.
His senses allowed him to clearly detect the unique fluctuations of the orb, and he was certain it was a talent orb.
His anticipation grew, and the sound of breaking through the air grew faster.
Finally, Eaglefall Island was within sight, and from the sky, the orb's appearance became clearer.
Within the deep blue, a circular outline was particularly striking.
Chen Feng's Azure Armor reappeared, and he ordered the Holy Shield Colossus to ignore everything else and charge straight ahead.
Whoosh!!!
The speed increased.
One hundred meters, five hundred meters, a thousand meters!
But the moment they reached the airspace above Eaglefall Island.
Whoosh!!!
The world trembled, and a powerful force pressed down.
An invisible force field enveloped them, and the Holy Shield Colossus was unable to fly, plummeting downward.
Chen Feng's expression darkened, and just as they were about to crash into the ground.
A strong intuition struck him, and he sighed inwardly, releasing his clenched fist.
Whoosh!!!
The gale swept through, stirring up dust on the ground.
The grass swayed, and the withered trees shook.
But in an instant, everything vanished.
The colossus, the dark armor—all disappeared from this world in that moment.
At the same time.
Far away in Banli Port, several kilometers away.
Outside the row of villas in the garden district, lively noises carried by the wind could be heard.
It seemed a prominent figure had arrived at the port and was personally escorted into the manor by Duke Charles.
"What's wrong with you?" Lei Long's wife stood on the second floor of the villa, looking at her husband by the window, sensing that something had been off with him these past two days.
Without answering, Lei Long gazed out the open window, watching the purple crystal flag symbolizing the royal family gradually fade into the distance as it followed the carriage.
The accompanying soldiers, carrying guns, escorted the procession with solemnity, and no incidents occurred along the way.
Finally, intermittent coughs could be heard nearby, one after another.
"What's wrong with you?" Lei Long's wife asked again, and only then did Lei Long snap out of it, shaking his head repeatedly.
"It's nothing," he said, relieved that Master Adler had safely arrived in Banli Port. It seemed Master Feng Chen hadn't caused any trouble.
His wife still felt something was amiss and wanted to ask further.
But soon.
"Dad!"
Little Andi, with her short curly hair, waved from the garden below, her smile radiant.
A small white flower she had planted swayed in the wind, resilient and full of life.
"Look at the flower I planted!"
"Uncle Feng Chen loves this kind of flower!"
Their eyes met, and Lei Long nodded with a smile.
Finally, he held his wife and together they looked out at the distant sea.
Master Feng Chen came and went without a trace.
Who knew if he would appear again?
Whoosh!
In Nanjiang, inside the Flame Tiger Martial Hall.
Chen Feng opened his eyes, a hint of regret flashing in them.
Just a little more.
If it hadn't been for that force field, he should have been able to retrieve that talent orb.
"Wait."
Suddenly, a thought struck him, and Chen Feng realized something was off.
He had been circling near Eaglefall Island earlier, so logically, he should have seen the orb then.
Why had he only noticed it at the last moment?
"An illusion?"
Frowning, Chen Feng quickly dismissed the idea.
He trusted his senses, especially with the enhanced perception from his ongoing Spirit Soul transformation.
That was a real talent orb, without a doubt.
"So, perhaps it was an angle issue, and I hadn't noticed it earlier."
"Or perhaps..."
His eyes flashed, and another possibility arose.
Maybe the orb had only appeared at that moment.
The more he thought about it, the more complex it became, and he eventually had to set it aside.
"Regardless of the circumstances, I must obtain that orb."
With his mind made up, Chen Feng got up, grabbed his phone, and sent a message to Grandmaster Flying Eagle.
It was still 7:05 AM on Earth, and only a night had passed.
Buzz!
Soon, his phone buzzed with a reply, but the result was less than satisfactory.
[Grandmaster Flying Eagle: Grandmaster Chen, you're up early, haha.]
[I'm still tracking them. I did find a few disciples of the Divine Martial Alliance, but they seem to be following the Serpent Spirit path...]
The other party was in Suro, but unfortunately, the individuals being tracked weren't associated with the Crows of the Dead's Divine Power Crystals.
Shaking his head, Chen Feng had no choice but to put his phone down and look at the palm of his left hand.
[Crows of the Dead: 0/100]
To retrieve the talent orb, he would need to enter the dreamscape again, returning to the Dead Crow Secret Realm.
But now...
"I'll have to think of another way."
Chen Feng exhaled deeply, regaining his composure.
After a quick tidy-up, he pushed open the door of the meditation room and stepped out, seeing the figures in the martial hall.
"Ha!"
"Bold! Watch my Giant Tiger Technique!"
"Shh, keep it down. Senior Brother has been working so hard, finally getting a chance to sleep in. Don't wake him up..."
Over a dozen formal and core disciples were on the first floor, honing their bodies and practicing their stances.
It was still early, and the core class students hadn't arrived yet.
Soon, someone noticed Chen Feng emerging from the meditation room, and calls began to ring out.
"Senior Brother!"
"Senior Brother!!"
Almost everyone stopped what they were doing, turning to look at him.
The two who had been talking earlier were still whispering.
"See? It's your fault. You woke up Senior Brother."
"Shh, keep it down. Don't get me in trouble."
Chen Feng shook his head, retracting his senses and pretending not to hear.
He gestured for everyone to continue their training, and soon Cao Tong appeared, accompanied by a disciple carrying breakfast.
"It's been cold lately, so I had the porridge reheated," Cao Tong said with a grin, following the disciple into the adjacent meditation room and placing the wooden tray on the table.
Golden Essence Porridge, dried meat, fruit...
Chen Feng nodded, signaling for Cao Tong to join him.
"I've already eaten," Cao Tong explained, sitting down in his black fleece hoodie.
After the disciple left, Chen Feng turned his attention back and asked Cao Tong about the Evil God Cult.
"Nothing. The Serpent Spirit Sect appeared once in Nanjiang, but that was it."
"Same with the nearby cities. Haven't heard anything."
Though Cao Tong didn't know why Chen Feng was so interested in the Evil God Cult, he reported honestly.
He had been tasked with gathering information earlier and had been sending people to inquire, but the results had been sparse.
Chen Feng wasn't particularly disappointed. The Red Nation considered the Evil God Cult taboo, and incidents like the Serpent Spirit Sect were rare.
Shaking his head, he instructed Cao Tong to continue investigating and patiently await results.
After finishing breakfast, only Chen Feng remained in the meditation room.
The matter of the talent orb required patience, so he forced himself to set aside his distractions, practiced his stances, and adapted to the gradual transformation of the Gate of Spirit.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of his punches echoed through the room, and he could feel the transformation process accelerating.
Just then.
A knock came at the door, and Cao Tong, who should have left, returned.
To Chen Feng's surprise, he brought unexpected news.
"That woman from Suro is here again."
(End of the Chapter)
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