The sky was the deep blue of a vast jade pendant, and the midsummer sun hung high within it like a colossal fireball. Judging by the sun’s position, it must have been around three in the afternoon.
Yian District Third High School.
“Ding-ding-ding…” As a loud bell resonated across the campus, the entire grounds erupted in noise. Students poured out of the teaching buildings in streams, chatting in small groups as they headed toward the school gates.
“Senior Luo Feng! Senior Luo Feng!” A deep, booming voice called out.
“A-Feng, someone’s calling you.”
Among the throng of students walking with his classmates was a lean young man carrying books, dressed in an ordinary blue tracksuit, standing about 1.75 meters tall. He turned his head in confusion. The caller was a boy about 1.9 meters tall, built like a bear, with alarmingly thick arms.
“Who are you?” Luo Feng asked, puzzled; he didn’t recall knowing the person before him.
The two were a study in contrasts: one built solidly like a black bear, while ‘Senior Luo Feng’ appeared perfectly ordinary.
In terms of height…
There was a vast difference between them. Yet, the bear-like young man seemed slightly reserved. He scrutinized the ‘Senior Luo Feng’ he admired and thought to himself, It seems the rumors are true; Senior Luo Feng is quite approachable.
“Senior Luo Feng, I—I have something I need your help with.” The bulky young man stammered nervously.
“What is it?” Luo Feng smiled and asked.
“When I practice my punches, I can’t seem to get the force delivery right. I was hoping Senior might have time to give me some pointers.” The bulky student continued earnestly, “According to my gym instructor, with my strength, I should be able to deliver punches that are 50% stronger. But when I throw a punch, I just can’t hit that mark.”
The bulky young man looked at Luo Feng with eager expectation.
“Oh, I see…” Luo Feng paused for a moment, then nodded. “How about this: find me at the martial arts gym on Sunday afternoon this week.”
“Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior!” The bulky young man expressed his gratitude repeatedly.
Luo Feng smiled and walked away with his classmates.
Watching Luo Feng depart, the bulky young man’s face lit up with excitement. He suddenly clenched his fist, veins bulging on his arm, and let out an excited, muffled roar: “Success!”
“Senior Luo Feng agreed just like that?” a student in a school uniform asked in astonishment.
“The rumors are true; Senior Luo Feng is so easy to talk to, and he’s a great guy,” the bulky young man grinned.
“But… that doesn’t make sense. In our Third High School, out of five thousand students, only three have earned the title of ‘Advanced Martial Arts Student.’ Of those three, the other two, ‘Zhang Haobai’ and ‘Liu Ting,’ are incredibly arrogant and absolutely refuse to waste time mentoring us.” The uniformed student looked puzzled. “Senior Luo Feng’s temper is really that good?”
Nowadays, across the world, in nearly every country and region, high school students, alongside their cultural education, would join a martial arts gym to develop their human potential.
Yian District Third High School had nearly five thousand students across three grades.
The vast majority were only Junior Martial Arts Students! Only a very small number were ‘Intermediate Students.’ Only three managed to qualify as ‘Advanced Students’!
“Hearing is deceiving; seeing is believing. Hmph, see? Senior Luo Feng is different from those other two,” the bulky young man scoffed. “That Zhang Haobai and Liu Ting come from rich families. They’ve spent huge sums of money on training since childhood to become strong. But Senior Luo Feng is different from them!”
The uniformed student nodded in agreement. “I heard it too. Senior Luo Feng, like us, comes from a modest background and lives in subsidized housing.”
“Exactly. Senior Luo Feng reached this level entirely through grueling practice. He earned it with every single punch and kick. Not like Zhang Haobai and the others.” The bulky young man clenched his fist, took a deep breath, and declared, “My goal is Senior Luo Feng. I will pass the gym’s assessment within four years—by the time I graduate from university—and earn the ‘Advanced Martial Arts Student’ title!”
...
At that moment, the Senior Luo Feng they were discussing was walking toward the Third High School gate with a fellow student in a tracksuit, flowing with the current of departing pupils.
“A-Feng, tsk tsk, that big guy who asked you for advice on ‘punch force delivery’ was bragging to his friend as he left,” the tracksuit-wearing student chuckled. “He was praising how nice you are, how approachable you are.”
Luo Feng smiled. “What, Wei Wen, are you jealous?”
“Jealous of you?” Wei Wen rubbed his nose and chuckled mischievously. “Dream on. I’m just marveling at how little that big guy knows about the true nature of the ‘Senior Luo Feng’ he admires. I remember it clearly… back in the sparring ring at the gym, the ‘Senior Luo Feng’ he revered took down three people in a row, leaving three Advanced Students unable to stand.”
Luo Feng smiled faintly.
That battle had indeed been his breakout moment.
Luo Feng clapped Wei Wen on the shoulder and laughed. “Let’s go, home time.”
Wei Wen dramatically shook his shoulder and cried out in mock pain, “A-Feng, take it easy! That clap nearly shattered my shoulder!”
“Still hamming it up!” Luo Feng rolled his eyes. Wei Wen was his lifelong best friend, the kind he’d worn split pants with as a kid. Though not biological brothers, their bond was almost the same.
Elementary school, middle school, high school.
Their relationship had deepened steadily throughout the years.
“Whoa?”
Wei Wen suddenly stared ahead. “A-Feng, look! It’s the girl you have a crush on!”
“Huh?” Luo Feng followed his gaze. In the crowd near the school gate, he saw a girl with a ponytail, wearing jeans and a light white polo shirt, walking along the roadside.
Luo Feng’s heart gave a slight leap.
A name flashed through his mind—Xu Xin!
The secret of his infatuation with Xu Xin was known to very few, but his good buddy ‘Wei Wen’ had certainly known for a long time.
In their first year of high school, when he and Xu Xin were assigned to the same class, his eyes were immediately drawn to her. Sitting in the back, he found himself constantly—and uncontrollably—stealing glances at Xu Xin’s back as she sat in front of him, just watching silently.
Just being able to see her back was enough to satisfy him.
In the second year, class assignments separated them, meaning they weren't together in the second or third years either. But whenever he saw Xu Xin, he couldn't help but look…
“Only one month left until the College Entrance Exam,” Luo Feng thought to himself. “I never had the courage, nor the time to pursue a girl for romance in the past. Now, in this final month, everyone is busy revising for the Gaokao. Xu Xin is a very driven girl too. How could she possibly afford to be distracted by romance now? Besides, I can’t afford to be distracted in this last month before the exams, or I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”
“Forget it. I’ll just let this crush become a memory.”
A crush…
So bitter; it had withered before it could even blossom.
Luo Feng only wanted to keep it deep in his heart.
“I told you to go for it, but you didn't. Now there’s only a month until the Gaokao,” Wei Wen shook his head. “If you don’t try now, you might never see Xu Xin again. It’ll be too late for regrets later.”
“Wei Wen,” Luo Feng shook his head, “Don’t push it. I won’t let myself be distracted by romance until I earn the title of ‘Warrior’.”
“Brother, you’re ruthless!”
Wei Wen gave him a thumbs-up. “The title of Warrior? In our entire high school of five thousand, not one person has achieved the ‘Warrior Title.’ And you’re saying you won’t date until you get it? Wow, you are something!”
“Hm?” Luo Feng suddenly glanced at the other five people near the school gate. “Zhang Haobai?”
The group of five stood out conspicuously among the students at the gate. The leading youth was about 1.8 meters tall, dressed in a white T-shirt and white trousers, his chest muscles clearly defined. The four surrounding him were either powerfully built or bore scars on their faces, clearly looking like tough individuals. The youth in white was one of the three Advanced Martial Arts Students at Yian District Third High School—Zhang Haobai.
“Luo Feng.” Zhang Haobai glanced at Luo Feng and let out a low snort.
In the entire high school, if Zhang Haobai hated anyone the most, it was clearly this Luo Feng!
After all, of the three who held the ‘Advanced Martial Arts Student’ title, one was female. Among the boys, only the two of them were Advanced Students!
Furthermore, Zhang Haobai came from a wealthy family, while Luo Feng was ordinary, living in subsidized housing.
In academics—Luo Feng surpassed Zhang Haobai!
In combat—Both Luo Feng and Zhang Haobai held the ‘Advanced Student’ title, but Luo Feng had once battled three Advanced Students consecutively at the gym, beating them so badly they couldn't get up. One of those three beaten men was ‘Zhang Haobai.’ That time, he lost a tooth from the beating!
But in terms of family background, Zhang Haobai’s family was clearly richer!
Despite having better conditions, Zhang Haobai was overshadowed by Luo Feng in both grades and combat prowess. At school, when people praised Zhang Haobai, they often compared him to Luo Feng!
Resentment!
Zhang Haobai’s resentment toward Luo Feng was immense.
“Let’s go,” Zhang Haobai licked his teeth; they still seemed to ache faintly. That time, he’d been beaten until his mouth was bloody and he’d lost a tooth.
“That Zhang Haobai has been much better behaved since getting thrashed at the gym, he hasn’t bothered you again,” Wei Wen watched Zhang Haobai’s group walk away and said to Luo Feng with a smile.
Zhang Haobai?
Luo Feng never took that spoiled brat seriously.
“Better to have fewer troubles than more,” Luo Feng said, then headed home with Wei Wen.
On the way home.
“Beep—beep—” Car horns sounded intermittently on the street. Nowadays, cars used ‘electric energy’ as fuel, so at least the smell of gasoline was absent from the roadsides.
“Wei Wen, only one month until the Gaokao. We both need to buckle down for these next few weeks,” Luo Feng said to Wei Wen as they walked on the sidewalk. “We can ease up a bit at the gym for now, just doing recovery training daily. We need to focus our energy mainly on our academics. The Gaokao is crucial; we’ve studied for twelve years. It all comes down to this one test.”
“Right, twelve years of cultural study, and this single exam decides everything,” Wei Wen sighed too. “Gaokao, oh Gaokao, it’s a bridge crossed by a thousand troops.”
“Mm,” Luo Feng nodded.
His family's financial situation wasn't good. Although his ‘Advanced Martial Arts Student’ title guaranteed him a job as an ‘Elite Bodyguard’ even with poor academics, with an annual salary of two or three hundred thousand yuan, that was no problem. But… how could Luo Feng settle for being just a bodyguard?
...
Meanwhile, high above Yian District, at an altitude of about a thousand meters.
A gigantic Black-Crested Golden Eagle soared over the city. Its body was nearly twenty meters long, resembling a large fighter jet. Its feathers shimmered with a cold metallic sheen. The feathers on its head were deep black, like a royal crown, and its sharp, massive talons were golden yellow.
Its keen, cold eyes, glowing with a faint blue light, surveyed the human city below, holding a barely perceptible trace of killing intent.
“Boom!”
The Black-Crested Golden Eagle, already flying fast, suddenly accelerated, instantly breaking the sound barrier to reach a terrifying speed. Simultaneously, an extremely high-pitched shriek erupted from the eagle’s beak. The fearsome sound wave generated a visible shockwave that rapidly radiated downward.
At a crosswalk on Baitan Road in Yian District, Luo Feng and Wei Wen were waiting for the light to change.
Suddenly—
“Aaaaang~~~”
A piercing, harsh cry ripped through the air. This sound was different from thunder; thunder was loud and deafening! But this high-pitched call was intensely grating. Luo Feng felt a stinging pain in his eardrums and frowned uncomfortably. Many pedestrians on the street clapped their hands over their ears.
“It’s the cry of a flying beast,” Luo Feng looked up at the sky.
“Huh?” Luo Feng gasped.
Under the impact of the grating screech, large panes of glass on a nearby skyscraper began to emit a low “Ka~ Ka~~” sound. Many panes cracked, and more than ten pieces of glass ultimately fell from the height. Some smashed onto the sidewalk, hitting people, while others struck streetlights beside the road.
“Smash!” “Thud!” “Crack!”…
An instant burst of shattering sounds followed.
One piece of broken glass struck the streetlight right next to Luo Feng, shattering immediately and spraying shards in all directions, causing several pedestrians to dodge.
“Whoa!” Wei Wen rapidly retreated two steps to avoid the flying debris.
One glass shard, sharp as a blade, shot toward Luo Feng.
“Hm?” Luo Feng’s gaze swept over it.
He didn't dodge. Instead, he stood still as his right hand shot out with lightning speed, snatching the incoming shard. The fragmented glass faintly reflected Luo Feng’s image. He weighed it for a moment, then casually tossed it. The shard flew like a projectile, landing with a Clang sound directly into the mouth of a distant trash receptacle.
On the road, traffic, momentarily affected, quickly resumed normalcy. But the pedestrians on the sidewalk were buzzing with discussion. Some unlucky people were injured, but the majority were completely unharmed.
“Incredible,” Luo Feng murmured, looking up at the sky. “A single cry from such high up has such power. It must be an extremely powerful flying monster. Wei Wen, you’re familiar with all sorts of monsters—do you know what this one is?”
Wei Wen squinted, excitement shining through the narrow slits of his eyes. “A-Feng, our city has a defense system at 500 meters altitude. This flying monster is definitely above that height. To produce such power with a sound originating that far away, and most monsters wouldn't dare make such a racket over a human city!”
“So powerful, so arrogant, and based on the sound—if my guess is correct… it should be the ‘Black-Crested Golden Eagle,’ a truly terrifying creature among flying beasts!” Wei Wen stated solemnly.
“Black-Crested Golden Eagle?” Luo Feng’s eyes lit up.
He had certainly heard the formidable name of the Black-Crested Golden Eagle.
“The Black-Crested Golden Eagle ranks third among eagle-type monsters,” Wei Wen continued, his eyes gleaming with intensity. “An adult Black-Crested Golden Eagle typically reaches 21 meters in length, with a wingspan of about 36 meters. Its maximum flight speed can reach Mach 3.9. If we calculate Mach 1 as 340 meters per second, that’s 1326 meters per second, or 4,774 kilometers per hour!”
Luo Feng knew the Black-Crested Golden Eagle was fierce, but hearing its top speed of 1326 meters per second still made his breath catch in his chest.
In one second—the blink of an eye—it covered over a thousand meters.
“The Black-Crested Golden Eagle’s feathers are harder than diamonds, likely reaching the hardness of Grade Three Chrome Alloy,” Wei Wen excitedly continued. “There’s a video online; a Black-Crested Golden Eagle once attacked an army as part of a monster horde. It was hit by a GAU-12 Vulcan cannon—7,000 rounds per minute! That’s a stream of molten metal! And each round can pierce 50 millimeters of steel plate. But… under the Vulcan’s relentless barrage, not a single feather fell off the Black-Crested Golden Eagle!”
“Later, a mysterious, powerful Warrior appeared, wielding a Chrome Alloy battle saber. He became a streak of light and cleaved the Black-Crested Golden Eagle in half with one strike!” Wei Wen spoke, his blood boiling.
Luo Feng’s heart pounded too, his blood surging!
He had seen that video; it was widely circulated online.
“I will obtain the title of Warrior. One day… I too will be like that senior, able to wield a saber and cleave monsters like the Black-Crested Golden Eagle or the Mighty Ape,” Luo Feng vowed silently. Every young man harbored a dream, and Luo Feng’s was such a dream!
Although…
The internet rumored that the mysterious expert who split the Black-Crested Golden Eagle in two with a single strike was ranked among the top 100 super Warriors internationally!
“A-Feng! A-Feng, what are you thinking about? We’re almost home.” Wei Wen called out.
Luo Feng snapped out of his surging thoughts and looked ahead at the residential complex composed of numerous high-rise dormitories—Nan’an Community. It was a subsidized housing project built by the government, where Luo Feng had lived for eighteen years.
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