Chen Feng's previous life was that of an ordinary college student who was killed in a massive explosion while playing The King of Fighters in an arcade, only to be transported to another world.
When he heard that Yan Long’s past life involved arriving in the same manner as himself, Chen Feng was utterly shocked, roaring out in haste.
“What is it?” Kyo Kusanagi inquired.
“Yan Long said he arrived here because of a time-space reversal he encountered while playing a game. Did he say anything else? What era did he come from?” Chen Feng asked anxiously.
Kyo shook his head. “I don’t know any of that, because he didn’t explain in detail!”
In that moment, a huge thought struck Chen Feng: Yan Long also crossed over from an arcade explosion—were they connected? The thought clawed at his heart like a persistent cat, but looking at Kyo’s expression, he knew further questioning would be useless.
“Never mind, I’ll ask him properly once Yan Long wakes up!” Chen Feng suppressed the stirring curiosity within him.
“In Yan Long’s estimation, although Kyo Kusanagi’s skills are powerful, they are not yet at their peak. Only by fusing Kyo Kusanagi’s skills can one become the strongest!” Kyo continued.
“Fusing Kyo Kusanagi’s skills? What is tha—”
“Fusing Kyo Kusanagi’s skills means re-integrating the different attributes within Kyo Kusanagi’s moves! To unleash an even greater power!” Kyo explained. “For example, when using Benimaru Nikaido’s ‘Lightning Flash Fist,’ while releasing electrical energy, if you fuse it with the ‘Orochi Nagi’s Crimson Flame,’ the resulting power will definitely be more than a simple one plus one!”
“Lightning fused with Orochi Nagi? Lightning Fist fused with Orochi Nagi?” Chen Feng murmured the phrases twice. Suddenly, his eyes lit up: “That’s right! If the light fist’s electrical attribute is fused with the Crimson Flame of Orochi Nagi, the power won’t just double! And this is just the simplest fusion. What if the ‘Eight-Handed Sword Cup’ is fused with ‘Sunshine’… the power of time and space combined? How immense would that be?”
Saki’s “Haoh Sho’enken”—if that qigong blast incorporated the fusion of Crimson Flame and Lightning Fist, its power would undoubtedly become even more tyrannical. And if one added the spatial shattering of ‘Sunshine’…?
The more he thought about it, the more right it felt. A clearer direction began to form in his mind: fusing Kyo Kusanagi’s techniques!
“Hoo…” Chen Feng exhaled, then bowed deeply to Kyo. “Thank you!”
That ‘thank you’ was deeply sincere. Previously, once he had mastered all of Kyo Kusanagi’s techniques, he had no other ideas beyond practicing combos. But no matter how powerful a combo was, how could an opponent stronger than him allow it to connect? Thus, the key remained developing immensely powerful offensive moves—even if they couldn't win in one strike, they could at least force the opponent onto the defensive!
“Heh, it’s good that you understand!” Kyo smiled. “Alright, the purpose for calling you here wasn’t to reminisce. If I wanted to catch up, I would have sought you out back in the Loki Empire!”
Chen Feng looked at Kyo’s expression and nodded gently, recovering from the shock and elation of the previous moments.
“Mmm!” Kyo was slightly surprised, yet more gratified, by how quickly Chen Feng regained his composure, and changed the subject. “Do you know why someone would try to frame you today, and attempt to kill Leidi and Ling Feng?” Before Chen Feng could answer, Kyo continued, “It’s because they want to stop you from finding the Heart of Heaven Stone!”
“The Heart of Heaven Stone? What is that?”
“It is said that the Heart of Heaven Stone has existed since the universe began. There are seven in total, and our world is fortunate enough to possess one. I don’t know its exact function, but I do know that if it falls into the hands of those people, the world will likely descend into chaos, just like it did ten thousand years ago when the Divine Realm collapsed, the Firmament fell, countless deities perished, and living beings suffered immensely!” Kyo sighed mournfully.
“This time, I used a slot from the Xuantian Illustrated Codex to summon the strongest young people from across the entire continent. The purpose is to select the exceptional youths to retrieve this Heart of Heaven Stone from the 【Seven God Temples】!”
“Young people? Is there an age restriction for retrieving the Heart of Heaven Stone?” Chen Feng asked, confused.
“Yes. The 【Seven God Temples】 where the Heart of Heaven Stone is kept have a special age restriction: one cannot exceed 25 years old. If that limit is surpassed, forget being human—even a High-Rank Law God entering will be executed!”
“What? How is that possible? Aren’t High-Rank Law Gods the most powerful deities apart from the Main Gods?”
Kyo stated, “High-Rank Law Gods are powerful, but the might of the 【Seven God Temples】 is far greater. They are simply beyond the resistance of both humans and gods. They obey the laws of the universe! No matter how powerful a deity’s strength, they still live within the cosmos, and thus have no power to break its fundamental rules!”
Chen Feng didn't fully grasp it yet, but he understood the main points: the 【Seven God Temples】 were bound by cosmic rules, and anyone over 25 attempting entry would face a superior force.
“Furthermore, if someone over 25 years old attempts it, not only will they fail to retrieve the Heart of Heaven Stone, but the stone itself will automatically shatter,” Kyo added.
“Oh,” Chen Feng acknowledged, then inquired, “Where are the 【Seven God Temples】 located?”
“In the Icebound Demon Garden you—”
“Are you talking about the Icebound Demon Garden, located furthest north of the Loki Empire?”
Recalling that place immediately brought to mind John and his grandson, Yas. The two of them lived right outside the Icebound Demon Garden. Thinking of them filled his heart with warmth. More than five years had passed; Yas must be an adult now. Old John… his body should still be robust; there should have been no problems over these five years!
“Yes, that very place. The 【Seven God Temples】 lie at the very center of the Icebound Demon Garden!” Kyo confirmed. “In half a year, the power of the Heart of Heaven Stone will be at its weakest, making it the best time to seize it. The chances of success would be much greater then!”
“Among these young people, your cultivation is the highest. The reason I sought you out is my hope that you can lead them into the Icebound Demon Garden, retrieve the Heart of Heaven Stone, and thwart their plans!”
“Me?” Chen Feng was momentarily stunned.
“Yes. What do you think?” Kyo’s eyes were filled with anticipation. He knew Chen Feng’s rebellious nature well enough; if he hadn’t worried about his refusal, he wouldn't have explained so much detail.
Chen Feng hesitated for a moment, and the grand hall fell into a silence so deep that falling feathers could be heard.
“Fine. When do we set off?” Chen Feng asked.
Chen Feng was not acting rashly. He agreed for two reasons: first, Kyo had shown him a path for future cultivation, earning his gratitude; second, subconsciously, he had a vague feeling that this expedition would bring him future benefits, not harm! It was as if a mission was calling out to him from ahead.
“Once the Five Peaks Tournament concludes, we can depart!” Kyo stated. “This time, it might require a dozen or so young people to go together. To increase your prestige and make management easier, I hope you participate in this Five Peaks Assembly with a high profile, winning decisively. This will make others clearly understand the gap between you and them, naturally earning their profound admiration and making it easier for you to lead.”
“Understood,” Chen Feng nodded after a moment of contemplation.
………………………………………………………………
What Chen Feng and Kyo discussed was known to no one. Apart from Long Xiaoqiang, Judy, and Angellica, it was likely no one else knew of the conversation.
It was three hours later when Chen Feng emerged from Kyo’s chambers. It was already deep into the night. As he left the main hall, he saw a solitary figure waiting.
It was Long Xiaoqiang.
“You’re finally out! You made me wait a long time!” He smiled when he saw Chen Feng emerge.
The Long Xiaoqiang of today was no longer the destitute boy from five years ago; both his cultivation, insight, and abilities had undergone earth-shattering changes.
“Come on, I’ll treat you to drinks!” Long Xiaoqiang clapped Chen Feng on the shoulder and strode toward a side hall near the palace perimeter, which presumably was his residence.
Chen Feng followed behind Long Xiaoqiang, a slight smile playing on his lips as he recalled their first meeting. It had been at the city gate, where Long Xiaoqiang had argued with the guards over a mere three copper coins for entry, even drawing the attention of the Young City Lord, Brent.
Time flew by; five years had passed in the blink of an eye.
The former country bumpkin had now become the disciple of the continent’s foremost expert, Kyo Kusanagi, and Chen Feng himself had transformed from his previous state to what he was now.
The two men had met perhaps only three times in total: once at the city gate, once at a small eatery, and once during a spar. Yet, those three encounters made them feel like old friends.
Upon arriving at Long Xiaoqiang’s room, a banquet table was already set, seemingly in wait for Chen Feng. Although Kyo was rigorous, he was not an ascetic; Kyo Island, though remote, had numerous servants, ensuring a decent supply of various vegetables and seafood.
“I can’t believe five years have passed in a blink,” Long Xiaoqiang spoke first, pouring a cup of wine for Chen Feng and himself.
“Heh heh,” Chen Feng replied with a faint smile.
“I, Long Xiaoqiang, don’t have many friends. When I was poor, people looked down on me. Now… who would genuinely befriend the disciple of Kyo Kusanagi?” As he spoke, a hint of melancholy touched his voice.
What he said was true. The poor were looked down upon; now that his status was elevated, people naturally sought to curry favor.
“When I was poor, you never looked down on me, and you paid my bill at the gate. Now that I’m Kyo Kusanagi’s disciple, you haven’t distanced yourself either. Based on those two facts, I’m determined to call you a true friend!”
Long Xiaoqiang raised his cup and drank it all down.
Chen Feng was pleased to see that the ignorant youth from before now possessed his own convictions. He smiled, nodded, and drained his own cup in a single gulp.
Just then, a series of crisp footsteps sounded from outside.
“Senior Brother, are you in?”
Angellica’s light voice drifted in from outside.
ps: The power didn't come back until nine last night, so I went to sleep early... Also, I have bad news for everyone—Old Cliff really has a cold, but I won't take leave; I’ll persist in writing! (To be continued. For future developments, please log on to www**com for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!)