Translator: CinderTL
Platinum Federation, Black Harbor City.
Within a lavish estate, a sprawling lawn and garden surrounded a fountain-filled pool.
A luxurious Lailaus and Feichi sedan was parked nearby, the castle-like architecture evoking the grandeur of medieval nobility. Dozens of impeccably dressed servants moved with practiced efficiency through the grounds.
Tap-tap.
Soon, the hurried footsteps of leather shoes echoed across the courtyard.
A group of Red Nation security personnel parked their vehicles and escorted a middle-aged man in a tailored suit toward the brightly lit estate hall.
But before they could enter, a white man in a suit stepped forward to block their path.
"My apologies, Mr. Han," he said calmly, his voice devoid of emotion. "This is Miss Ouna's private estate. Your security personnel cannot enter."
The group's expressions darkened, and Han Mingchuan, the man at the center of the entourage, narrowed his eyes.
Ever since the Red Nation adopted a more assertive stance and initiated multiple rounds of negotiations, he had sensed his position within the Platinum Federation becoming increasingly precarious and awkward.
Observing his shifting, complex expression from the study on the second floor, Ouna shook her head with a mocking smile.
"It seems he's finally realized his value is dwindling."
The light screen on her desk remained suspended in mid-air. Her white gown, embroidered with intricate patterns, shimmered faintly in the sunlight streaming through the window.
Several security personnel stood guard at various points in the study, stationed by the doors and windows.
Ouna glanced at them before turning to the man beside her.
"The Red Nation's resolve is stronger than we anticipated. They're insisting on Han's extradition, demanding he be handed over to them."
"Uncle Longjia, I'm so grateful to have you by my side. I wouldn't be able to live peacefully without you."
Adopting a deliberately vulnerable tone, she looked up at the Caucasian man beside her. He wore a gray suit, his build unremarkable, his features ordinary.
Yet his amber-brown eyes possessed an undeniable brilliance, like polished gemstones, impossible to ignore.
"Miss, proceed with confidence. I will ensure your safety."
Longjia replied simply. Ouna nodded with a smile, then, adopting the demeanor of a junior seeking guidance, she asked about another matter.
"The Saint Sect Leader from the Red Nation's northern region has rejected my invitation to collaborate. Tomorrow is the day he's scheduled to challenge me in Nanjiang City."
"I plan to have Raius handle this. Stirring up chaos will make it easier for us to insert our own people later. What do you think?"
She recalled the plan Lord Father had shared, as well as the image of that arrogant young man, like a wild horse she couldn't tame.
"I believe Miss Ouna's strategy is sound."
Longjia responded simply, offering no objection.
Ouna smiled at the words, but her expression quickly turned serious as the man continued.
"Miss Ouna, you've handled these matters flawlessly."
"However, there's one thing you must not underestimate."
"Uncle Longjia, please speak."
"I've heard that Giles and Young Master Milan have also joined the search plan for that legendary-grade super ancient creature."
His subtle tone caused Ouna's smile to fade.
The creature's trail...
She thought of the fruitless days spent searching, its tracks proving elusive.
If not for her family's insistence and the confirmation from high-level authorities, she would have begun to doubt the truth of this speculation.
"Liu Duanyun has rejected the Roth Family's offer of cooperation."
That evening, the red maple aircraft slowly detached from the floating orbit, its white searchlights piercing the night curtain.
Chen Feng stood inside the cabin, recalling the information Xia Mingyuan had shared. His gaze toward the night sky flickered with complex emotions.
Though he didn't know how the Red Guard had learned of this, at least this Saint Sect Leader—the former first martial artist of the Red Nation—was worthy of his attention.
A lesser man might have accepted the Roth Family's offer, using external forces to confront him.
But Liu Duanyun had upheld the pride and principles of a true martial artist.
"However..."
Chen Feng's eyes turned cold as he remembered the Roth Family's existence.
They even dared to interfere with the duel.
He could guess their motives: either old grudges driving them to target him directly, or a scheme to sow chaos and divert attention by attacking the spatial gate at the High Wall.
A flicker of murderous intent rose from the depths of his heart as he recalled Xia Mingyuan's final offer of cooperation.
Having neither accepted nor refused, he left the heavily guarded, restricted area.
Whoosh!
The red maple-marked aircraft passed through security checks and entered the spatial gate, plunging him once again into the sensation of weightlessness.
During the journey, a panel quietly materialized before him. Chen Feng glanced at it:
Divine Awakening Method: Cosmic Flame - Sun Realm (57% → 84%)
Five vials of Advanced Life Elixir and two bottles of Life Source Liquid.
While the former's effects were diminishing, the Life Source Liquid still provided substantial nourishment.
The next realm of the awakening method was now within reach. The Cosmic Flame in his lower abdomen had grown increasingly solid, resembling a miniature sun suspended in his Dantian, radiating warmth and light.
The scorching heat of combustion and explosive energy simultaneously tempered his Physical Body and spirit, as if forging them into a unified whole.
For a moment, his mind wavered, recalling the unique nature of Lower-Ranking Angels.
Heart's Momentum. Martial Dao Momentum.
The divine and the mortal united, spirit and flesh merged.
Mind and body fused into one, spiritual world and flesh becoming a cohesive entity.
Reaching this stage allows one to achieve heart's momentum, transforming the mundane into the extraordinary with every movement and technique.
This is exemplified by the Holy Shield Colossus and the Ancient Taiduo Lower-Ranking Angel cyborgs Chen Feng encountered during his Dream Incursion into the ark within the Inverted Pyramid.
Each strike and stance could summon overwhelming momentum, either crushing like a mountain range or enveloping like an entire world.
"After this, if one could construct a new world within their spiritual realm, or even achieve external unity..."
Chen Feng's gaze flickered as he recalled fragments from his dreamscape in Qinggang City.
This was a realm beyond heart's momentum, where a single thought could manifest as an entire world.
Instantly, an idea flashed through his mind, and he swiftly summoned the Star Spirit.
Buzz!
A wave of mental energy rippled through his mind, and the Star Spirit's petite, humanoid phantom materialized.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice unusually quiet as she remained absorbed in the transactions and calculations of her intelligent avatar.
"Are the Divine Generals cyborgs too?" Chen Feng asked, voicing his lingering doubt.
He remembered Li Yun mentioning that each Divine General was unique, beyond measurement by rainbow iron or conventional cybernetic augmentation.
"Divine Generals?" The Star Spirit paused, then realized this was the Red Nation's term.
"You mean the Sacred Beings," she corrected, her crisp voice echoing in Chen Feng's mind. "The Sacred?"
Chen Feng was surprised, then saw the Star Spirit nod gently, her large eyes blinking as she explained, "The divine are among the highest technological achievements of Ancient Taiduo."
"I don't remember the exact origins, but each divine being possesses unique characteristics, connected to Fragments of Divinity and the Will of the World."
"Only those recognized by the creator can become true divine beings."
The Star Spirit's explanation was somewhat vague, leaving Chen Feng unsure whether she was deliberately withholding information or if her database was genuinely incomplete.
But...
The Divine Generals are connected to Fragments of Divinity and the Will of the World?
Lost in thought, he glanced at his interface again.
He had already obtained five Fragments of Divinity, needing only four more to revive the first batch of Angel-class Heroic Spirits in the Heroic Spirit Hall.
But if these fragments were connected to the Divine Generals, should he use them for the revival path?
As these thoughts raced through his mind, the aircraft exited the spatial gate and arrived at Nanjiang's High Wall.
Night had already fallen, with stars dotting the horizon.
Within the High Wall, red and blue lights flashed intermittently—the patrol aircraft and anti-gravity devices on alert.
Construction of the Star Ring Device continued, its structure becoming increasingly refined, gradually forming a nearly hundred-meter-diameter metallic ring.
After a quick glance out the window, Chen Feng heard the Star Spirit sigh in admiration.
"What a beautiful world."
She had been confined within the pyramid's ark for too long, unable to leave for various reasons.
Though she could observe the world through the network, she couldn't initiate much external communication.
"Isn't the Secret Realm the same?" Chen Feng countered as the aircraft cleared inspection, departed from the High Wall, and headed toward the Flame Tiger Sect's Mountain Gate.
The scenery here was even less bustling than Radiant Light Inner City, yet it prompted the million-year-old intelligence to sigh in wonder.
"The Secret Realm is ultimately not a complete world. It's merely an independent space attached to the star realm."
Shaking her head, the Star Spirit rarely spoke again, reminding Chen Feng of Xia Mingyuan's earlier words.
The spatial structure of the Secret Realm was far inferior to that of the real world.
When questioned further, the Star Spirit didn't conceal the truth.
"An independent space like the Secret Realm is like a layer of honeycomb surrounding the Spatial Crystal Wall of a complete world. It serves both as an extension and a protective barrier."
"That's why, to breach a world, one often needs to first break through the Secret Realm before accessing the real world."
"Oh?"
Chen Feng's gaze shifted, finally understanding why the Secret Realm had been the first to erupt with the Black Tide.
But soon, he remembered the anchor points in Nanjiang, Suojia City, and even the Niduo Kingdom's Capital.
"There are also special circumstances. Just as the surface layer of a beehive isn't uniformly thick, the world's Spatial Crystal Wall is uneven."
"Independent spaces don't extend perfectly continuously, covering every part of the world barrier. These weak points are naturally easier to breach."
So that's how it works.
Chen Feng's confusion dissipated, finally grasping the underlying principle.
"But don't worry, such weak points are rare. Even the Black Tide would struggle to find them easily."
"Even if they did locate one, they'd need to wait for the right moment and expend considerable resources to break through. After all, we're talking about the world barrier that isolates chaos."
The Star Spirit quickly offered a few more words of reassurance, but Chen Feng felt a growing sense of pressure.
He loathed this feeling of helplessness.
The Black Tide was the destroyer of civilizations, the architect of doomsday.
Like a surging ocean swept by relentless tides, the further time advanced, the more unstoppable its arrival became.
Suojia City, the Niduo Kingdom's Capital, Nanjiang—the future was destined to bring similar fates to new cities.
"The star realm is vast beyond comprehension, and the dimension where Earth resides is but one among countless others."
"Then... has no world ever launched a counterattack?" Chen Feng asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"We once ruled over half the worlds in the star realm and attempted such things."
"There were successes, and there were glories."
"But alas..."
The Star Spirit sighed softly, her expression complex, tinged with both regret and hatred.
Chen Feng even glimpsed a hint of bewilderment in her eyes.
Even the mighty Ancient Taiduo Civilization, at the height of its power, had fallen before the Black Tide, its countless worlds reduced to ruin.
It seemed the Black Tide was truly invincible, destined to annihilate all existence.
Worse still, he suspected that Earth might now be one of the last surviving star realm civilizations.
(End of the Chapter)
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