Translator: CinderTL
Tap!
Under the gaze of many, the burly young man in a black trench coat came to a halt.
Han Chao opened his mouth to dissuade him, but the black-clad woman named Shiva's eyes lit up, seizing the moment to press on:
"If the Flame Tiger Grandmaster is afraid, just say so. After all, we'll meet again at the martial arts exchange at the beginning of the year."
"Although I am a woman, I know the ancient saying of your Red Nation: on the path of martial arts, one must be brave and forge ahead, fearless of strong enemies."
Her words were full of provocation, and Chen Feng turned his head slightly to meet her gaze.
"I'll give you a chance."
"You can leave with dignity."
His tone was calm, but the other party was not buying it.
"No need, Grandmaster Chen."
"Please."
Shiva spread her hands, her eyes showing the triumph of having provoked him.
Han Chao on the side quickly spoke up to dissuade, but in the end, he saw Chen Feng shake his head slightly.
Their eyes met, and he understood the other's meaning.
He could only sigh inwardly, letting the two go to the martial arts hall to spar, lest too many onlookers cause too much of a stir.
"That's fine too."
Faced with Han Chao's suggestion, Shiva nodded without resistance, her lotus steps moving lightly as she slowly walked towards the martial arts hall.
Throughout the process, she remained composed, like a proud and exquisite black swan, followed by several Suro bodyguards.
It seemed as if she were the master of this place.
"Grandmaster Chen, my apologies."
"Please go easy on her later."
Han Chao walked up and said sincerely, not doubting Chen Feng's strength in the slightest.
The battle at the Huai River had already proven that he could kill a two-gate grandmaster. Although there was no footage from within the ancient civilization ruins, their military had roughly deduced that the biological cyborgs from Skyway Shipping were likely killed by him.
With the true strength of a peak fourth-tier, even a three-gate grandmaster or an advanced Titanium-grade cyborg was no match for him.
If it weren't for this, their military wouldn't have specifically sought him out to discuss participating in such a significant exchange event concerning the face of the Red Nation at the beginning of the year.
"Alright."
Chen Feng nodded lightly, not surprised by Han Chao's regard for him.
Stepping forward, Cao Tong and others followed closely, and the Safety Bureau quickly cordoned off the surrounding area.
Among the crowd, a middle-aged security officer looked up at the back of the young man in the black trench coat, his gaze complex.
A young security officer beside him followed his gaze and asked curiously, "Team Leader Xiang, do you think Grandmaster Chen can win?"
"I told you, don't call me Team Leader Xiang, it's Deputy Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader."
Xiang Jianjun said with feigned seriousness, but the other party pouted.
Who in the bureau doesn't know you're more than willing?
"Alright, Deputy Team Leader, seriously, that Suro woman seems to have a really strong aura."
"I feel like—"
"You're wrong."
Interrupting his words, Xiang Jianjun suddenly put away his smile and shook his head.
"Real beasts often kill with a single strike."
"Only the weak will ramble on."
The young security officer was stunned, and then he saw the other party lead people to create another layer of distance.
"Deputy Team Leader?"
"Stand further away, glass shards hurt when they hit you."
"Can we start?"
The mandala pattern on the black martial arts uniform was accentuated by the sunlight, and more and more eyes looked in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Many ordinary people and students who were originally working out here had been dispersed.
Shiva stood barefoot in the center of the martial arts hall's first floor.
Her demeanor was reserved, the cold of the winter unable to approach her, as if isolated by her aura.
"Alright."
Chen Feng's tone was calm as he stood steadily, his back to the many disciples on the second floor.
The black trench coat was still on his body, and he waved his hand at Cao Tong, indicating there was no need to take it off.
Seeing his demeanor, Shiva's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Since she had decided to probe the depths for the grandmasters back home, she had to force him to reveal more of his abilities this time.
To see if he had stagnated or made some progress after the battle at the Huai River.
"Miss Shiva, let's keep it to a friendly match."
Han Chao on the side reminded her, the two cyborgs beside him clearly at the fourth-tier level.
He didn't want her to continue making trouble after losing.
"Don't worry, I just want to experience the martial arts of the Red Nation, and I'll go easy on Grandmaster Chen."
She deliberately replied, subtly observing Chen Feng's expression, hoping to provoke him.
But to her surprise, he remained expressionless.
Chen Feng just stood silently in place, his hands hanging by his sides, quietly watching her.
In an instant, their eyes met.
Feeling his indifference, a black light flashed in Shiva's eyes, and her aura suddenly changed.
Whoosh!!
A gust of wind blew past, the air howling.
A shadow remained in place, but in an instant, she had appeared at Chen Feng's side.
A palm covered in black light shot out like an arrow, stirring up waves of wind that shook the glass on both sides, accompanied by a piercing sound, heading straight for Chen Feng's temple.
Seeing this scene, several Suro people who had followed her were excited, as if they had seen the moment of victory.
But to their surprise, under the gaze of many, the figure in the black trench coat remained standing in place, unmoving.
"Are you underestimating me?"
The black light in her eyes was intense, Shiva knew that the grandmaster before her was not skilled in speed.
So...
"It's over..."
Roar!!!
A tiger's roar shook the air, the glass and floor-to-ceiling windows of the Flame Tiger Hall trembling.
Everyone's eardrums hurt, and the next second they saw a black figure flying backward, her body curled up like a shrimp.
Her disheveled black hair showed her disarray, her eyes filled with pain and doubt.
Whoosh!!
A figure flashed, just as she was flying backward.
The black trench coat fluttered in the wind, a clenched fist hanging in mid-air.
A strong sense of crisis blossomed in Shiva's heart, and she could no longer care about her trump card, immediately gritting her teeth to activate a secret technique.
Buzz!
In an instant, black light flashed.
She actually disappeared in mid-air while flying backward.
Everyone's eyes widened, Han Chao frowned, Cao Tong and others were secretly shocked.
Under the gaze of many, she had teleported, bizarrely appearing behind Chen Feng, enduring the pain in her abdomen, her hands turning into claws, like an eagle pecking.
"Not good!"
Someone exclaimed, horrified by her speed, about to hit Chen Feng's waist.
But the next second...
Bang!!!
A spinning side kick hit her shoulder and elbow, and the tall figure in the black martial arts uniform flew backward again.
Everyone was stunned, several Suro onlookers' eyes widened.
Chen Feng stood in place, slightly frowning, his perception focused, the world slowing down.
In that instant, he clearly saw two black lines spreading across Shiva's face, like a mandala about to bloom.
Like a tattoo, or some kind of secret technique.
Because of this, he could feel that the punch he had held back seventy to eighty percent of his strength had not broken her bones.
"But..."
A cold light flashed in his eyes, and he had already stomped the ground and leaped forward.
The tiger's leap reappeared, red light swirling, high temperatures erupting.
Since your methods are strange, I'll knock you to your knees in one go.
Roar!!
The tiger's roar rose again, this time he had released another ten percent of his strength.
Shiva, flying backward, widened her eyes, seeing the air form a circle, the wind blowing in her face.
A chill ran through her heart, and she hurriedly activated the secret mark in her body, wanting to dodge again.
But to her surprise, a thick hand like a tiger's paw came at her fiercely.
Without any extra movements, just the force erupted, using his powerful aura to instantly suppress her.
The secret mark in her body slowed down for a moment, and then she felt her head being grabbed.
"Let go..."
Bang!!!
A punch landed squarely on her lower abdomen.
A muffled sound exploded, everyone's expressions changed slightly, Han Chao even felt a toothache.
If it weren't for the cyborg beside him telling him that Grandmaster Chen had held back, he would have worried that the overconfident Shiva would be shattered by him in one move.
But even so, the other party was not having a good time.
With a cry, she spat out a mouthful of blood, and then seemed about to kneel on the ground.
"Miss Shiva!"
"Not good!!"
Several Suro people's expressions changed drastically, and in their panic, they instinctively rushed forward.
The cyborg behind Han Chao frowned, wanting to stop them, but before he could act, he saw the red light disperse, and a seven-meter-long True Intent Crimson Tiger appeared behind Chen Feng.
Roar!!!
The tiger's roar exploded, the temperature in the martial arts hall suddenly rose.
The Suro people were all drenched in cold sweat, flying backward and crashing through a piece of glass.
Ignoring them, Chen Feng didn't even glance at them.
He just looked at the woman kneeling on the ground, her face pale, the black lines on her body gradually fading.
"Divine Power?"
"No, it doesn't seem like Divine Power either?"
He frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled by the power she had just displayed.
He wanted to probe further, but soon, footsteps approached.
"Grandmaster Chen."
Han Chao spoke up at the right moment, and Chen Feng understood his meaning.
The tiger's mouth loosened, and he let go of Shiva, allowing her to kneel on the ground in confusion.
Tap tap.
Footsteps moved, leather shoes stepping on the floor.
He passed by her, only saying lightly.
"Martial arts should be fearless of strong enemies."
"But unfortunately, you're not qualified yet."
Tap tap.
The footsteps faded away, Shiva's body trembled.
Excited shouts rang out in the martial arts hall, as the crowd surrounded the back of the figure in the black trench coat and left.
She finally came to her senses, kneeling on the ground, blood at the corner of her mouth, her face filled with confusion.
---
A day later, looking at the message on his phone.
Chen Feng finally understood what the black lines on Shiva's body were.
[Grandmaster Flying Eagle: That's a secret technique from Suro, also known as secret mark.]
[The locals are heavily influenced by religion, and martial arts are somewhat similar. Although it's not the path of Martial Divinity, it's still somewhat different from the martial arts of our Red Nation.]
After some inquiries, he learned a lot from Grandmaster Flying Eagle.
Secret mark, to a certain extent, are equivalent to Martial Arts True Skill.
Their effects vary, focusing on defense, speed, recovery... each has its own merits.
Among them, the mandala's secret mark are quite advanced, especially skilled in speed and force dispersion.
Chen Feng pondered, and then thought of Grandmaster Pu Ni.
When the Divine Martial Alliance controlled him to kill him at the Flame Tiger Sect, it seemed he didn't use secret mark?
[Grandmaster Flying Eagle: Grandmaster Pu Ni traveled to the Red Nation years ago, and his path is similar to ours.]
[Also, this Miss Shiva, her identity is indeed not ordinary, she probably didn't become a grandmaster through natural breakthrough.]
The message appeared again, and Chen Feng curiously asked the reason.
He also felt that her aura was off, like a grandmaster, but not quite.
As for the transformation stage, it clearly didn't seem like it.
Buzz buzz!
Soon, the phone vibrated, and Grandmaster Flying Eagle sent another message.
[Grandmaster Flying Eagle: Suro has a secret method called empowerment, which allows a grandmaster to pass on their cultivation to someone else before death.]
[But empowerment is not perfect, there will be significant losses, and the requirements for the empowered person are extremely high. Generally, it's difficult for someone to become a grandmaster through empowerment, and it will leave shackles, making martial arts even more difficult, with little progress.]
[She is probably one of the most successful cases of empowerment, relying on the enhancement of secret mark to temporarily reach the grandmaster level.]
After reading the message, Chen Feng understood.
Then, he chatted briefly with Grandmaster Flying Eagle.
The other party said they were still investigating the Divine Martial Alliance's clues, and although they had some findings, unfortunately, the local turmoil was frequent, and he still needed some time.
In addition, the other party informed him of one more thing at the end of the conversation.
"Demon Moon, Viper..."
Chen Feng narrowed his eyes and put down his phone.
According to Grandmaster Flying Eagle's recent findings, the Divine Martial Alliance in Suro likely has at least two grandmasters.
One of them, codenamed Demon Moon, follows the path of Martial Divinity, relying on the divine power crystal of the Crows of the Dead, and is likely the illusion grandmaster.
The other is Viper, relying on the divine power crystal of the Serpent Spirit Sect, and is likely a two-gate grandmaster.
The thought flashed by, and soon, the phone vibrated again.
[Lin Hao]
Answering the call, he heard the other party laugh heartily.
"You're making waves again, I heard you knocked out a Suro grandmaster yesterday."
"I held back."
Chen Feng said calmly.
He hadn't even used thirty percent of his strength, otherwise, the other party would have been dead with the first move.
"Hey, good thing only you and I can hear this."
"If it got out, it would probably cause quite a stir."
Lin Hao teased, and Chen Feng shook his head helplessly.
Yesterday's incident was recorded by some and uploaded online. Although the Safety Bureau and the military quickly sealed the news, many still found out.
"Alright, tell me, why did you suddenly contact me?"
Chen Feng didn't dwell on these topics and got straight to the point.
"Nothing much, just heard you were nominated as a council candidate?"
"Yes."
Chen Feng nodded without hiding it.
"Tsk tsk, I had to pull a lot of strings to get that, I'm really envious of you."
Lin Hao on the other end of the phone marveled, and Chen Feng wasn't surprised he knew.
"I heard the council candidates will be finalized before the new year."
"Try to secure it, I feel like Nanjiang is going to change a lot..."
His tone was distant, as if he had guessed something.
Chen Feng had a similar intuition.
Finally, he was about to hang up.
But Lin Hao's smile faded, and he said one more thing.
"One more thing."
"Big Sis has been investigated by the Red Guard recently, be careful."
"Oh?" Chen Feng frowned.
Meng Anran being investigated by the Red Guard...
His heart stirred, and he guessed the meaning.
"I understand."
The Luo Hui incident seemed resolved, but in reality, it was only temporarily delayed.
With the final discovery of Onit's whereabouts and his subsequent self-destruction, it would definitely raise suspicions.
"Big Sis can't contact you directly."
"But she privately sent someone to tell me she'll try to delay for a while, throw out some smoke bombs."
Lin Hao stopped at the right point, and Chen Feng understood, feeling a sense of urgency.
After all, Luo Wantao is the Deputy Council Speaker.
With the vast resources at his disposal, it's inevitable that he would find some clues.
If he eventually traced it back to me.
Even without evidence, as long as there's a definite conclusion...
I hope you don't force me.
A cold light flashed in his eyes, and Chen Feng looked up at the sky outside.
The scattered clouds were blown away by the wind.
No matter how high the position, one can still fall into the mud.
(End of the Chapter)
---
Read (MF) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c310. [+4k Words]
Early Access at $5.
Translated (5) Series, (2.6K+) Chapters, (3.5M+) Words.