Translator: CinderTL
"Viper was right after all."
"Your senses are indeed far stronger than an ordinary person's."
In the woods behind the Flame Tiger Sect, a figure cloaked in black robes and wearing a mask stood silently.
The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting long shadows as scattered leaves lay on the ground.
A black crow, which had been circling earlier, landed on the figure's left shoulder. Its dark, malicious eyes gleamed with a hint of blood.
"Divine Martial Alliance?"
Chen Feng approached slowly, his footsteps crunching the dried leaves beneath him.
As his senses expanded, he could already see the face hidden beneath the mask.
A middle-aged man with yellowish-black skin and brown eyes.
Clearly not of Red Nation descent, but rather resembling someone from the Suro Nation.
"Why ask when you already know?"
"You've killed so many of our Divine Martial Alliance members and stolen the key to the secret realm. Isn't it only fair that I come for you?"
The man's tone was calm, and Chen Feng's heart stirred slightly.
He wasn't surprised by the man's appearance. After all, in the vicinity of Luohe and Nanjiang, he was the only Physical Grandmaster.
If the Divine Martial Alliance were to investigate seriously, they would inevitably trace it back to him.
What caught his attention more was the man's aura.
It felt... off.
His voice sounded stiff, and there was no trace of divine power mutation on his body.
Yet, the overwhelming aura of a Physical Grandmaster and the faint presence of Evil God Power were unmistakably real.
"So?"
Chen Feng stepped forward, standing about seven or eight meters away from the man, his feet pressing into the dirt and gravel.
The trees cast a patch of shade in the sunlight, and the man didn't waste any time, speaking directly, "Viper said you have exceptional talent, with the potential to reach the Pinnacle Realm."
"So, two choices."
"Join us, become one of the alliance's protectors, and we'll let bygones be bygones. Just return the key to the alliance."
Chen Feng remained silent, simply staring at the man with a calm gaze.
"Or... heh."
The man paused, then smiled faintly. "Become the sworn enemy of the Divine Martial Alliance."
Whoosh!
An autumn breeze swept through the woods.
Birds and beasts scattered in fright, their rustling sounds fading into the distance.
The atmosphere grew tense, but Chen Feng's expression remained unwaveringly calm.
Joining the Divine Martial Alliance sounded tempting. He might even gain access to more Evil God Power, which could help him unlock other secondary dream realms.
But...
The key? He had already absorbed and destroyed it.
Moreover, recalling the snake-like creatures in the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm, their divine mutations that stripped them of their humanity filled him with deep disgust.
For a moment, the woods fell into silence.
As if sensing Chen Feng's decision, the black-robed man's gaze grew colder. The crow on his shoulder suddenly took flight.
"It seems you've made your choice."
Chen Feng didn't respond, but his eyes narrowed slightly. His black robes billowed without wind, fluttering with a sharp sound.
Ignoring the crow circling above, he focused his gaze, watching as the black-robed man vanished and reappeared right in front of him.
"Then, let your Flame Tiger Sect..."
"Be buried with you."
Boom!!!
A fist struck Chen Feng's chest, causing the ground to cave in and crack.
A tremendous force surged forth, creating a cone-shaped shockwave that toppled trees.
The man's indifferent voice echoed in Chen Feng's ears as the crow above let out an eerie cry.
Chen Feng lowered his eyelids, standing still.
He continued to observe the face beneath the mask, sensing something amiss.
"Are you playing hide-and-seek?"
The moment he spoke, the black-robed man's eyes flickered.
Black energy began to surge around his body, but in the next instant.
Roar!!!
A tiger's roar echoed through the mountains, and a crimson light erupted.
An even more ferocious fist struck the man's chest, tearing through the black robe and revealing the yellowish-black skin beneath.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The black-robed man staggered back, black energy rapidly swirling around his body as he tried to dissipate the force and counterattack.
But.
Swish!
Chen Feng's figure flickered, and crimson light flared again.
In a single leap, he closed the distance, now standing just half a meter away from the man.
Buzz!
The Seed of Life within him activated, and in the next moment.
The crimson energy around him deepened, and his explosive fist struck like a cannonball, hitting the man's chest once more.
Boom!!!
A muffled thunderous sound echoed as the ground shook.
Sparks of energy exploded and scattered, and the black-robed man was sent flying, crashing through trees and even piercing a gray boulder.
Chen Feng pressed his advantage, the Seed of Life and Crimson Tiger Force combining to enhance his speed.
In an instant, the black-robed man realized the danger and ceased holding back.
Mid-air, his hands formed a seal.
And in the next moment.
Just as Chen Feng's fist was about to strike, the world turned black, and a swarm of crows rushed toward him.
It felt as if some force was invading his mind. The blue sky and brown earth rapidly faded, replaced by a bloody red as he was pulled toward an abyss.
At the critical moment.
"Get lost!!"
Roar!!
The True Intent of the Flame Tiger manifested, flames erupting and incinerating everything.
The crows turned to ash, the mental illusion shattered, and the brown earth and green forest reappeared before him.
But the black-robed man who had been sent flying was no longer in sight.
Instead.
Whoosh!!!
A spear-like fist.
Black energy covered the entire arm, and the air behind it solidified as over forty tons of force erupted.
Chen Feng's hair stood on end, and the world seemed to slow down.
Boom!!!
A Crimson Tiger Explosive Fist struck the black-robed man's head from behind.
Whoosh!!
The black-robed figure was sent flying again, and as Chen Feng focused his senses, he could clearly detect a hint of shock and disbelief in the man's eyes.
Breaking the illusion was one thing.
But how could he have predicted the attack?
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Not giving the man time to think, Chen Feng's figure flashed repeatedly. Bronze energy covered his entire body, and in the blink of an eye, he was by the man's side.
Then, noticing the man's hands twitching, likely attempting to use the same trick again.
Chen Feng's arms were still charged with energy, but his muscles suddenly swelled, veins bulging like twisted serpents, transforming into raw, primal strength.
And then.
Boom!!!
White energy exploded.
The black-robed man, who had been sent flying, was slammed into the ground, a faint cracking sound hinting at broken bones.
"You!"
He seemed about to roar a threat, but.
Boom!
Another explosive fist struck his nose and face.
His head slammed into the ground, and the rocks beneath him shattered.
The black-robed man's eyes grew unfocused, and Chen Feng seized the opportunity, standing over him, blocking all sunlight.
Roar!!
Energy and Explosive Fist combined, the tiger's roar continuous and relentless!
Boom! Boom! Boom! The muffled sounds echoed as the forest trembled, and one after another, craters formed in the ground.
Finally.
Blood splattered, staining the dried leaves and ground, while broken trees lay askew.
The devastated ground looked as if it had been bombarded by artillery. The black-robed man's aura dissipated entirely, and a series of system notifications appeared.
[Power of the Dead +1!]
[Power of the Dead +1!]
[Power of the Dead +1!]
"Damn it!"
At the moment the black-robed man died, in a villa courtyard within the Suro Nation.
A woman in a black lace dress paled, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth as her aura weakened.
People quickly arrived upon hearing the commotion, including a brawny man with a ponytail and a snake tattoo on his left cheek.
"You took action?" he asked, frowning.
The woman in the black lace dress gritted her teeth.
"My pawn was killed by him!"
Her icy tone caused the surrounding subordinates to pale, but the ponytailed man merely raised an eyebrow.
"Though Pu Ni was just an ordinary Physical Grandmaster, with you controlling him, this shouldn't have happened."
"How would I know!"
"That guy is abnormal. His senses are terrifyingly strong. Not only did he break through the mental illusion, but I suspect he can even predict my attacks."
Her face pale and grim, the woman wiped the blood from her mouth with a silk handkerchief. "His physique too. It's no wonder he has the Innate Tyrant Bone. Pu Ni's full-force punch barely fazed him. He's probably close to special-grade titanium."
A string of shocked and frustrated remarks, and the ponytailed man fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.
"Viper, I acted for your sake."
"That was a fourth-grade pawn!"
Seeing him remain silent, the woman pressed urgently, her tone sharp.
"I'll help you find a new target."
The ponytailed man, interrupted from his thoughts, wasn't angered.
"But you'll need to help me find another key."
"The one on him is a lost cause. The secret realm in Suro has been located, and we can't delay the matter of the divine power crystals."
"Fine."
The woman nodded, her expression softening slightly, but then she noticed something.
"You're planning to let him go?"
"For now."
His tone indifferent, the ponytailed man named Viper narrowed his eyes. "But anyone who dares kill my people is marked for death."
"Once I return from the secret realm, I'll cripple him and make him your target."
However, the woman wasn't satisfied.
By the time you return from the secret realm, who knows how long that will be?
Her thoughts raced, but she didn't voice them. Instead, she remembered something.
As if reading her mind, Viper frowned.
"You're thinking of the Flying Dragon Sect?"
"Why not?"
"Since he dares provoke the Divine Martial Alliance, he'll have to pay the price!"
[Power of the Dead: 200/100]
In the woods, Chen Feng withdrew his gaze from the black-robed corpse.
Threads of invisible black energy were absorbed into his palm. He turned his hand, examining the small crow tattoo etched there.
Deep and dark, he had gained two opportunities to enter the realm of the dead.
Shaking his head to suppress the thought, he looked up at the sky.
The black crow continued to circle, its malicious gaze felt as if it were deliberately taunting him.
Narrowing his eyes, Chen Feng ignored it for now and looked back down at the black-robed corpse.
Based on his senses, the still-warm blood, and the gradually cooling body, he could confirm this was a living person.
However, the man's condition was highly abnormal.
Though a Physical Grandmaster, something felt... missing.
Additionally.
Chen Feng's gaze shifted downward, looking at his Azure Armor talent.
The progress bar hadn't budged. Even in the face of death, the black-robed man had shown no fear.
It felt as if...
"Was he being controlled?"
Narrowing his eyes, Chen Feng recalled the mental attack he had almost fallen victim to.
The martial arts sects of Red Nation had a long history, and a few true arts related to mental techniques and illusions had been preserved.
But the intensity of the man's attack, which had nearly ensnared him, was rare.
After all, he was already a Grandmaster, nearing the pinnacle of Red Nation's martial arts.
"A martial art that combines the Power of the Dead, specializing in illusions."
Chen Feng thought back, recalling the information Cao Tong had gathered for him on the Evil God Cult.
The Evil God Power of the Crows of the Dead was related to death and illusions.
Having pieced together some clues, he looked up at the sky again.
The black crow circled for a while longer before flying away. Shaking his head, Chen Feng took out his phone and sent a message to Lin Hao.
Since the Divine Martial Alliance had dared to make a move on him, he wouldn't just sit back and take it.
He wanted to investigate who this black-robed man was, and based on the traces of the martial art, see if he could uncover any leads.
Moreover.
His gaze turned distant as an autumn breeze swept by.
The Nanjiang urban area was bisected by a river, and the battle he had agreed to at Huai River was only a few days away.
(End of the Chapter)
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