The dark gold sphere within the Sea of Consciousness—when it would finally be depleted, no one knew, and Luo Feng stopped dwelling on it.
March 1st, Thursday, the day the Fire Hammer Squad was set to depart.
On the first floor of the HR Alliance Mall, the five members of the Fire Hammer Squad gathered.
“Madman, what are you looking at? Disappointed that Miss Xu Xin isn't here?” Wei Tie joked, grinning. Luo Feng didn't say much. He had called Xu Xin last night, and during the Spring Festival break, he and Xu Xin had even shared a long lunch and conversation.
Luo Feng harbored a secret affection for Xu Xin, and Xu Xin felt a pull toward him as well.
However, neither had dared to cross that line.
Xu Xin was preoccupied with her studies, and secondly, the Xu family was a powerful, established clan. Getting a boyfriend was not a simple matter for her. As for Luo Feng, the sky-high bounty placed by Vulture and Black Scorpion was still active, an invisible pressure that touched Luo Feng constantly.
“Once my strength increases substantially and I resolve this issue, I’ll make things clear with Xu Xin,” Luo Feng understood perfectly. Both had their constraints, so neither pushed the relationship.
Occasional calls, occasional dates.
That was enough.
“Alright, let’s move out,” Captain Gao Feng stood up.
“Haha, this New Year holiday, my body is almost rusty. Let’s go!” Wei Qing also laughed heartily. Immediately, Wei Tie, Chen Gu, and Luo Feng all stood up. The five members of the Fire Hammer Squad boarded an HR Alliance private vehicle, headed to the train station, and then took a train to the supply base of the Southeast Military Region.
The Wilderness Zone, City 023.
The last time Luo Feng stole dragon eggs, the Iron-Armored Dragon’s territory was adjacent to the highway, situated in the suburbs. If Luo Feng took the normal route to City 003, he might run into the Iron-Armored Dragon! Having stolen its eggs, Luo Feng certainly didn't dare go near that area now, lest he face the Iron-Armored Dragon’s wrath!
In a dilapidated courtyard of ancient-style architecture, Luo Feng and Gao Feng were surrounding and striking down a massive bull that looked forged from steel armor, entirely fiery red, snorting two plumes of white vapor from its nostrils as it furiously attacked the human youth it despised the most—this human youth who buzzed around it like a fly.
This bovine monster was a ‘Steel-Armored Bull,’ renowned among cattle-type monsters for its astonishing defense. With scales like those, it was easily on par with a Mid-level Beast General.
The two High-Level Beast Soldier-class Steel-Armored Bulls it led had already been dealt with by Wei Tie and Wei Qing.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Luo Feng’s evasive footwork was lightning-fast, resembling a matador from before the Great Nirvana era. He was teasing the enraged Steel-Armored Bull. Several wounds marred the bull’s hide, but unfortunately, they had little effect on it.
“Chii!”
A flash of cold light erupted, like a thunderclap.
It brought with it a spray of blood mist. The Blood Shadow Battle Blade swept upwards from beneath the Steel-Armored Bull’s neck, cleaving in a good half of its depth, followed by an instantaneous retreat—a flash, and he was gone!
“Hoonnnn~”
The Steel-Armored Bull let out a low, unwilling roar. Because its throat was severed, the sound was weak and leaky. Immediately, its massive body crashed down, shaking the entire ground so violently that the dust, bloodstains, and bluestones cracked open a fissure.
“Beautiful,” Gao Feng praised highly.
“Madman, your movement technique is getting incredible,” Wei Qing couldn't help but commend.
Luo Feng himself understood clearly. Back at the Iron-Armored Dragon’s lair, the ‘Carrefour Supermarket,’ the instant, rapid calculation he performed while escaping the siege of hundreds of Beast General-level monsters had allowed Luo Feng to temporarily match the ‘Perfect Level’ of movement technique within 1.2 seconds. After this brief experience with the Perfect Level movement technique, over the two months he was home.
Luo Feng frequently used the ‘Nerve Reaction Tester’ at the Limit Training Hall to drill his footwork.
Movement techniques were divided into four tiers: Basic Level—Subtle Level—Perfect Level—State of Art Level.
Two months of rigorous practice, and Luo Feng had indeed touched upon a feeling of the Perfect Level.
“Everyone must be tired too. We had a good harvest today. Let’s head back to the outpost to rest,” Captain Gao Feng said after dissecting the Steel-Armored Bull to collect materials. Wei Tie, Wei Qing, and Chen Gu all responded, “Let’s go back.”
“Captain, you all go ahead.”
“I’ll look for more monsters to practice my blade work and movement technique, and I’ll meet you later,” Luo Feng said with a smile.
“Young people always have so much drive,” Gao Feng, Chen Gu, and the others smiled. Luo Feng had been like this for the past few days; just as the other team members felt exhausted and ready to rest, Luo Feng would go out alone to hunt monsters. However, they were aware of Luo Feng’s strength and didn't stop him.
Gao Feng, Chen Gu, and the others left, leaving only Luo Feng behind.
……
The sky was gloomy.
The loner Luo Feng, holding a shield in one hand and a battle blade in the other, weaved through the streets and alleys of City 023, sometimes engaging in deadly combat with fierce Beast Generals, sometimes fighting entire hordes of monsters! City 023 was formerly Suzhou. Many places retained ancient architectural styles, which were now tragically the playground of monsters.
“Puff!”
“Chiii!”
Blood sprayed! Monster limbs flew!
Luo Feng repeatedly executed the third form of the Nine Stages Thunder Blade, constantly challenging his limits by plunging into monster hordes for melee combat! Within these crowds, Luo Feng would tirelessly strive to push his movement technique to the absolute maximum, forcing himself to utilize other monsters and the surrounding environment to aid him.
A long, long time passed……
Three hours after Gao Feng and the others had returned to rest, Luo Feng dragged his exhausted body to the bank of a small river to wash his combat suit before heading back. In just three hours, the number of monsters killed by Luo Feng was at least several hundred. However, the monsters’ reproductive capability was also formidable.
Even if Luo Feng hadn't killed them, the monsters, needing sustenance, would kill and devour the weaker ones.
The combat suit’s structure was tight, preventing water penetration, offering complete defense against stabs. Wiping it down washed away the monster blood.
……
On the sixth floor of a six-story residential building, the Fire Hammer Squad was situated.
“You’re back?” Gao Feng and the others looked toward the door as Luo Feng walked in.
“En, killed eight Beast General-level monsters.” Luo Feng took the materials from the eight Beast General-level monsters out of his backpack and placed them on the floor. “I’m going to cultivate my genetic energy first, and we’ll eat dinner together later.” Compared to the others, the quantity of Beast General-level monsters Luo Feng killed alone was substantial; one backpack couldn’t hold it all.
Chen Gu advised kindly, “Luo Feng, don't push yourself too hard. Take it easy.”
“Right, why work yourself so hard, exhaust yourself like that?” Gao Feng also urged.
When Luo Feng exerted himself, the entire Fire Hammer Squad benefited greatly. Although most of the monsters Luo Feng killed individually belonged to him, the others still reaped rewards.
“Haha, this is nothing,” Luo Feng smiled and entered a nearby room.
The empty room’s floor had long been wiped clean by Luo Feng.
After setting down his shield, backpack, battle blade, and throwing knives, Luo Feng began practicing the Guidance Technique.
“So refreshing.”
“Every time my body is pushed to the limit of fatigue, practicing the Guidance Technique afterward feels like every single cell in my body is trembling.” Luo Feng was pleased. Why did the higher the realm of the Nine Stages Thunder Blade, the faster his physical fitness improved? It was because the Nine Stages Thunder Blade drove the body’s power to a deeper level.
It even influenced the cells!
The greater the consumption of the body’s cells, the hungrier they became, and the stronger their assimilation ability, allowing them to absorb more genetic energy!
“Warriors always say that fighting monsters in life-or-death situations leads to faster progress. Why is that?”
“It’s because, in life-or-death situations, one subconsciously excavates every ounce of the body’s power. This deep-level excavation allows the absorption of much more genetic energy during every cultivation session,” Luo Feng easily deduced the reason. One person practices swinging their blade desperately in a home dojo, while another swings their blade amidst monster hordes in the Wilderness Zone.
Though both are swinging blades in combat!
The person in the Wilderness Zone excavates more bodily energy and expends more. Consequently, their cultivation speed is faster!
“My progress in the Wilderness Zone these past few days has been clearly nearly one-third faster than when I was at home!” Luo Feng knew the speed of his improvement based on the time he absorbed cosmic energy daily.
……
And so, Luo Feng immersed himself in the slaughter of monsters in the Wilderness Zone, his entire body stained with blood every day, as if he had fought his way out of a sea of gore. His movement technique, blade technique, and physical fitness were all gradually improving at a steady rate through this frantic cultivation.
However, the insane killing also substantially increased the bloodlust in Luo Feng.
Which true martial expert hadn't gone through immense slaughter and blazed their own path? Luo Feng was merely progressing slowly along this road now.
Jiangnan Base City, Limit Headquarters.
In the large audio-visual room.
“Judging by these materials, Luo Feng indeed possesses excellent talent, and he is extremely diligent. In two months, he killed over ten thousand Beast Soldier-level monsters? That’s dedication; his ‘Beginner Warlord’ strength was truly earned through his own struggles,” said the Headquarters Emissary, War God Yang Hui, looking at the printed data before him.
“Iron Hand, have you arranged things with Wu Tong?” Yang Hui asked.
“Wu Tong is online now and can chat with you anytime,” Chairman Zhou Zhengyong replied with a smile.
Yang Hui nodded and quickly activated the three-dimensional virtual projection equipment.
A dreamlike light rapidly formed a three-dimensional projection in the center of the audio-visual room. The Director of the Yangzhou City Limit Training Hall, ‘Wu Tong,’ appeared right in the center of the room, as if he were physically present. The only difference from a real person was a faint halo surrounding his body.
“Wu Tong pays his respects to the Chairman and the Emissary,” Wu Tong bowed slightly.
“Mm.”
War God Yang Hui nodded. “You know the reason I sought you out. As the overall head of the Yangzhou City Limit Training Hall, and since Luo Feng lives in Mingyue Community, you must be quite familiar with him.”
“Yes,” Wu Tong nodded.
“Tell me the details of his physical fitness and his current strength level,” War God Yang Hui commanded.
“Yes.” A faint smile of pride surfaced on Wu Tong’s face. “Luo Feng is one of the most outstanding geniuses Yangzhou City has seen in the last decade. After the New Year, he just turned 19. He has only been a warrior for a little over half a year, and currently, his physical fitness stands at 10,000 kg of punching force and a speed of 128 meters per second. I’m not entirely sure about his nerve reaction test speed, but a month and a half ago, he was qualified at the ‘Intermediate Warlord Level’!”
“Furthermore, I know he cultivates the Nine Stages Thunder Blade, and during the New Year holiday, he had already reached the third form of the Nine Stages Thunder Blade. Meaning, he reached the third form within half a year of cultivation.”
Wu Tong bowed slightly: “These are some of the key data I possess.”
“The third form of the Nine Stages Thunder Blade?”
War God Yang Hui, previously calm, changed his expression.
“Are you certain?” Yang Hui pressed.
“I am certain. I personally witnessed him unleash a full-power punch with 28,000 kg of force,” Wu Tong stated firmly.
War God Yang Hui and Chairman Zhou Zhengyong exchanged a look.
“The decision from above will likely need to be changed,” Zhou Zhengyong chuckled.
Yang Hui, however, looked at Wu Tong: “Where is Luo Feng now? I want to see him personally!”