Translator: CinderTL
"Dream, or the past?"
In the room of the underground labyrinth, Chen Feng stared at the small vial of serum in his hand, his emotions in turmoil.
A panel appeared before his eyes, and the strength attribute had quietly settled.
[Strength: 55.6]
A real improvement, an increase of a full 9 points in strength from the beginning.
The Explosive Fist had now become instinctual, upgraded to Mighty Arms, no longer requiring additional energy consumption and gaining even greater enhancement.
His strength had thus soared, and if he activated the Azure Armor, it would reach around 150 tons.
For a moment, Chen Feng felt lost, almost unable to distinguish between the past and the present, unsure which was reality and which was illusion.
"Phew!!"
He exhaled heavily, deciding not to waste any more energy since he couldn't find the answer.
Chen Feng forced himself to suppress his distracting thoughts and looked around the room he was in.
It was spacious, covering several hundred square meters.
The entire room was a deep brown color, made of the same material as the stone walls outside, smooth and even.
Yellow crystals lined the walls, emitting a faint glow, while white light flowed across the rocky floor, clearly revealing numerous carved patterns on the surrounding walls.
Star Rings, warships, aircraft, the Black Tide...
The world was on the brink of destruction, with Seeds of Civilization being established everywhere, a scene eerily similar to what he had experienced earlier.
For a moment, seeing that everyone else had disappeared, Chen Feng couldn't help but wonder if they had also gone through the same experience.
Including himself, had they entered the mural?
Moreover.
Looking at the biological detector in front of him.
The countdown was still decreasing, and over a day and night had already passed, leaving only a few hours.
Chen Feng was surprised, feeling that the recent experience was increasingly mysterious.
Buzz!
At that moment, a white light flashed on the ground, as if some circular pattern had materialized.
In the next second, a figure flickered and reappeared.
"Grandmaster Zhou?"
Chen Feng frowned at the person who had appeared, none other than Zhou Wuren, who had disappeared earlier.
The man looked wary, his Bio-Armor slightly damaged, his hair disheveled, as if he had just been through a fierce battle and sustained injuries.
"Grandmaster Chen?"
Zhou Wuren was initially cautious, but then his eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward.
Seeing the look in Chen Feng's eyes, he hurriedly explained, "Grandmaster Chen, I suddenly found myself in a strange place, where I encountered many non-human creatures..."
"They were too strong, I almost didn't make it, but luckily I managed to return..."
Sensing no malice, Chen Feng relaxed his guard and began to converse with him.
Through careful probing, he learned something.
The other had also gone to a strange place but hadn't seen the three-eyed humans of Ancient Taiduo; instead, he had been injured by non-human creatures.
After comparing notes, Chen Feng was deep in thought.
Buzz!
As the two were talking, the circular pattern on the ground reappeared and flickered once more.
In the next second, a figure appeared—Du Shan.
"Cough..."
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, still in his ant-man form, his Bio-Armor mostly damaged.
His eyes were bloodshot and filled with fear, and he almost attacked upon seeing Chen Feng and the others.
"Du Shan, it's me!"
Snap!
Chen Feng stepped forward and restrained him, his arms firmly gripping Du Shan's arms.
Too shocked to react, Du Shan finally took a few deep breaths, his Bio-Armor rapidly transforming back to his normal human appearance.
"Cough... I almost died."
He looked pale and disheveled as he gazed at the two.
In his explanation, he had gone through a similar experience to Zhou Wuren, also finding himself in a strange place and being attacked by non-human creatures.
However, Chen Feng noticed that their experiences differed from his own; neither had seen the scene of Ancient Taiduo's civilization being invaded by the apocalypse.
Instead, it seemed like they had entered some isolated space.
"Wait, Grandmaster Chen, did you obtain the genetic blood of a super-ancient creature?"
Du Shan keenly noticed the serum in Chen Feng's hand, his expression excited.
Chen Feng nodded, not intending to hide it.
He could sense that the energy within the blood had already been absorbed by him, and keeping it would be of no further use. It would be better to give it to the Black Crystal Group to see if he could gain some benefits.
During this, he casually made up an excuse to cover up while carefully observing Du Shan's expression.
The other clearly couldn't tell that the genetic blood of the super-ancient creature had already been drained of its energy.
Buzz!
As if synchronized in time, two more white circular patterns appeared on the ground.
But soon, when Zhao Meng and the others appeared, Chen Feng and the rest's expressions changed.
"Gasp..."
Zhao Meng's armor was shattered, one arm severed, her short hair bloodied, her aura weak, nearing death.
Her contracted pupils seemed to have experienced some great terror, and as soon as she appeared, she vomited a mouthful of blood.
Beside her lay Xie Xiao, lifeless.
His chest seemed to have been pierced by some creature, his aged body drenched in blood, his eyes wide open, his expression stiff.
"Zhao Meng! What happened!!"
Du Shan looked anxious, quickly stepping forward, pulling out a medical injector from his backpack, and immediately injecting it into Zhao Meng's arm to stabilize her vital signs.
Chen Feng and the others also approached, looking at Xie Xiao's corpse with complex expressions.
A living person, now dead here.
And they were all fellow Martial Arts Grandmasters, inevitably stirring emotions.
"It was Xu Qiang!"
Zhao Meng's injuries were under control, and she gritted her teeth, "Grandmaster Xie and I entered a strange palace, where there was some kind of technological blueprint."
"But Skyway Shipping was also there, Xu Qiang and another person were hiding in the shadows, ambushing us."
"He even brought a specially made Sniper Cannon, and in the end, Grandmaster Xie took the fatal blow for me."
At the end, Zhao Meng looked at Xie Xiao's corpse beside her, her expression filled with guilt and complexity.
Everyone sighed, and Chen Feng's gaze flickered, roughly guessing why Xie Xiao had sacrificed himself.
His lifespan was nearing its end, doing his best to leave more favors for the Lion Heart Sect.
"This is part of the technological blueprint that Grandmaster Xie and I managed to seize, but the other part is still in Xu Qiang's hands."
Zhao Meng, pale-faced, took out a folded paper blueprint from her backpack.
Its surface was protected by some sturdy transparent material, with a few drops of blood splattered on it, clearly having been stained.
"Damn it."
"That bastard Xu Qiang!"
Du Shan felt increasingly uncomfortable, angered by Grandmaster Xie's death.
Beep beep!
As they spoke, the biological detector emitted a reminder sound, and everyone instinctively looked at the countdown.
Only two hours remained, the minimum time they had set to leave the labyrinth, in case they forgot.
"Let's leave here first."
Chen Feng spoke in a deep voice, and everyone nodded.
Subconsciously, they hadn't realized that they had already started to see him as their leader.
Then, in the process of packing up, the four of them recorded all the details of the room in the biological detector.
Seeing that Zhao Meng's severed arm made it inconvenient for her to move, Zhou Wuren hesitated for a moment before taking the initiative to carry Xie Xiao's corpse.
"After all, he was a Grandmaster, he deserves a grand burial, to give his sect an explanation."
His tone was somber, and Chen Feng, also a Grandmaster, felt it deeply, nodding slightly.
"But how do we leave here?"
Du Shan asked, turning to see that the massive stone door they had pushed open earlier was now closed.
Approaching it and trying, he found that it couldn't be opened from the inside.
"Let me try."
Chen Feng attempted to exert his strength, his veins bulging like coiling pythons.
But unfortunately, even with the Mighty Arms, the seven to eight-meter-tall stone door remained unmoved, and even a punch couldn't damage it.
He suspected that even activating his talent wouldn't easily destroy it.
"What do we do?"
Worry reappeared, and Zhou Wuren and the others' expressions changed.
If they delayed any longer, the Black Tide would erupt, and no one could guarantee safety here.
Chen Feng didn't answer, just stopped his actions, heightened his senses, and observed the room.
The white light on the ground flickered, and the several circular patterns that had appeared earlier had all vanished.
Recalling the experiences the others had shared, he suspected that there was some kind of Star Ring-like device here that could briefly teleport people away, otherwise their experiences wouldn't make sense.
If that was the case, could it teleport them outside the room?
"There must be a way to leave."
Chen Feng calmly speculated, and he believed that the white circles on the ground might hold the key to activation.
Seeing his expression, the others were somewhat influenced and began to observe the room as well.
In the end, it was Zhao Meng, with her keen senses, who noticed something unusual and pointed to a yellow crystal on the wall.
It looked similar to the others, but its orientation was slightly different.
Chen Feng, focusing his senses, also noticed something similar, believing it to be a mechanism for activation.
"Could it teleport us back to where we disappeared earlier?"
Du Shan was somewhat apprehensive, and Zhao Meng and Zhou Wuren's expressions stiffened.
"This might be the only way to leave."
Chen Feng shook his head and spoke gravely, stepping in front of the group.
The four exchanged glances, and Zhou Wuren nodded, gripping his sword tightly.
Du Shan and Zhao Meng also knew there was no other way and eventually agreed.
"Let's do it!"
Click!
Finally, Chen Feng twisted the yellow crystal.
A strange sound echoed, and the white light on the floor of the room suddenly flashed, transforming into several circular patterns beneath their feet.
The group was astonished, and in the next second.
Buzz!!!
A bright white light erupted, shooting straight up to the ceiling like a pillar.
The figures vanished, and everything seemed to return to calm.
But deep within the labyrinth, in a metal chamber that no one had ever visited.
A shadow stirred, opening a third eye on its forehead.
"Captain Taylor..."
Buzz!!!
White light flashed before their eyes, and their footing felt heavy.
Chen Feng and the four others regained their senses, looking around.
"We're out!"
Zhou Wuren was somewhat excited, seeing the entrance to the thirteenth level they had seen before.
The intersecting passages on either side were all too familiar.
"Let's go! Time is running out."
Without delving into the mystery and strangeness of it all, Du Shan spoke up, immediately turning to signal their departure.
But Chen Feng suddenly grabbed him, looking up at the stairway leading to the twelfth level.
A hundred meters away at the corner of the stairs, it seemed empty, but within his senses, he could detect a figure hiding there.
Whoosh!!!
As if realizing he had been spotted, the figure suddenly fired a shot.
A pale blue bullet shot through the air at high speed, and Du Shan reacted quickly, roaring as he raised his shield.
Boom!!!
A violent explosion rang out, dust filled the air, and the passage shook.
The high-grade Titanium shield, already damaged, now completely shattered.
The burly Du Shan was sent flying back seven to eight meters, crashing into the stone wall with a thud.
Whoosh!!
Another whistling sound was heard, and Zhou Wuren, still carrying Xie Xiao's corpse, felt a chill at his forehead, with no way to dodge.
The timing was too perfect; he had no time to evade.
Gritting his teeth, he prepared to take the hit.
Clang!!
A metallic sound rang out.
The long, thin blue Sniper Cannon bullet was split in two by a blade, sparks flying as it veered off course and hit the stone wall.
Boom!
An explosion sounded, followed by a strange cracking noise.
Looking over, the metal combat knife picked up from the ground had developed cracks, and Chen Feng coldly glared down the passage.
With a sinister nose, the man named Xu Qiang, wearing a metal scimitar at his waist, sneered with his arms crossed, while another from Skyway Shipping crouched, aiming a Sniper Cannon at them.
"It's Xu Qiang!"
Zhao Meng beside him gritted her teeth in hatred, while Du Shan behind them coughed several times, barely managing to get up from the ground, clearly more injured.
The group was in poor condition, and the other side had clearly noticed this.
They had likely been lying in wait here, anticipating their appearance.
"Zhao Meng, hand over the item, and I might spare your lives."
The mocking, cold voice made Zhao Meng's expression change.
But before she could speak, a black figure flashed in front of her, charging forward with ferocity.
"Martial Arts Grandmaster? Seeking death!"
The bio-human holding the Sniper Cannon sneered, pulling the trigger once more.
This was a specially made shell that could pierce high-grade Titanium and would explode upon impact.
Against a Martial Arts Grandmaster?
Whoosh!!!
The specially made blue bullet shot out again, moving at high speed, the air whistling sharply, about to hit.
Clang!!!
Another blade struck, and a loud explosion followed.
The metal combat knife cracked further, and the man holding the Sniper Cannon frowned slightly.
How did he manage to strike at such speed?
And the explosion, how was he unscathed?
Disbelieving, he pulled the trigger again, firing another shot.
Clang!!
Using the same method, amidst the explosion, the distance between them had shortened by over thirty meters.
"Zhou Hai, what's going on?"
Xu Qiang noticed something was wrong, frowning as he asked.
He thought even he might not be able to deflect the Sniper Cannon, suspecting his subordinate had made a mistake.
"Boss, something's off, this guy is really strange."
Whoosh!!!
Another Sniper Cannon shot was fired.
The world slowed down in Chen Feng's eyes, and glancing at the cracked metal combat knife in his hand, he dodged at the critical moment.
Boom!!
The explosion sounded behind him, and Zhou Wuren had already set down Xie Xiao's corpse, charging forward as well.
"Boss, something's wrong!"
"I know!"
The panicked conversation continued, and Xu Qiang, with his sinister nose, coldly and seriously looked on.
Quietly, he had already lowered his arms, gripping the metal scimitar behind him.
"You take care of the one behind, I'll handle this guy!"
"Got it!"
Whoosh!!!
As soon as the words were spoken, the bio-genetic power within him erupted, and he shot forward like a shadow, charging straight at Chen Feng.
The whistling wind rushed at his face, and a cold light flashed in mid-air.
Chen Feng's gaze shifted, clearly seeing the other's Bio-Armor fully activate, spreading and growing, covering his body, transforming him into a Serpentfolk-like form.
Swish!!
The metal scimitar was exceptionally sharp, tearing through the air, and the other was already within a meter, blocking all light.
But at the moment their eyes met.
The combat knife in Chen Feng's hand suddenly shattered into pieces, as if the previous Sniper Cannon shots had destroyed its structure, leaving only his bare fists.
"Idiot!"
A low sneer, Xu Qiang felt assured, his power surging again.
The blade was terrifying, even with poison he had secreted from his pores coating it, making it appear dark purple.
Just one hit, and you, a mere Martial Arts Grandmaster...
Thud!!!
An incredibly swift punch, arriving later but striking first, hit squarely in the chest.
Squelch!!!
A hole formed, blood gushing out.
All thoughts froze in an instant, as Xu Qiang's armor shattered, his chest pierced, hanging on Chen Feng's arm.
(End of the Chapter)
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