Martial Fist: Adding Points in Dreamland

Translator: CinderTL

"The Extreme Martial Stance is the foundational stance of our Extreme Martial Hall. It is the best method for you to lay the groundwork on your martial path."

"If you can master it to perfection, refining your internal organs and developing your Force in the future won't be a significant problem."

In the residual memory scene, inside the martial hall.

Sunlight poured in, and a group of disciples in white martial arts uniforms stood on the training ground. A thin, middle-aged man in a dark robe was demonstrating and instructing them.

"Moreover, if you can fully comprehend the True Intent of Extreme Martial Fist and cultivate the True Art of our Extreme Martial Arts Hall, you may glimpse the threshold of True Intent and step into that realm."

"Therefore, you must calm your minds and diligently practice this stance."

After his explanation, most of the disciples seemed deep in thought.

But soon, one of them raised his hand and asked loudly.

"Instructor Zhang, if we may be so bold, if we master this stance to perfection, will we have a chance to break through beyond True Intent in the future?"

"Oh?"

The thin middle-aged instructor glanced at him, noticing the youthful ambition in his eyes, but he didn't rebuke him.

He simply shook his head and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Beyond True Intent, we don't speak of the ultimate realm or transcendence."

"Even the fourth-tier Grandmaster isn't something you can achieve with just a single stance or an ordinary True Art."

His words piqued the curiosity of the young disciples.

"Instructor Zhang, they say that only after reaching the fourth tier in martial arts can one truly have a foundation to stand on and earn the title of Martial Artist of the Alliance."

"May we ask what is so special about this realm?"

The one who had asked earlier spoke up again, and many others echoed his question.

"Fine, if I don't tell you, you probably won't focus on practicing the Extreme Martial Stance today."

The thin instructor shook his head and then explained, "The fourth tier in martial arts was known as the Grandmaster in the old era. Such a person could take on a thousand enemies and be invincible."

"In today's world, they can also ignore the attacks of many firearms. The key lies in one thing."

"The Three Gates of Transformation."

He extended three fingers and looked around at the disciples.

"Essence, Qi, and Spirit—these are the foundations of us martial artists and the only forces we can rely on."

"The Gate of Essence, the Gate of Qi, and the Gate of Spirit... Breaking through any one of these gates will allow us to unlock the mysteries of our bodies and undergo a transformation."

"Only when the transformation is complete will one truly become a Grandmaster."

As these words echoed, Chen Feng, who was still immersed in the memory scene, felt a tremor in his heart.

He was still somewhat confused, but then he saw someone else ask a question.

"Instructor Zhang, may we ask what the differences are between these three gates?"

"Of course."

The thin middle-aged man spoke calmly, "The Gate of Essence is the gate of physical strength. Once you break through its shackles and undergo transformation, your physical attributes will continuously improve—strength, agility, defense—all will increase dramatically."

"The more essence you replenish, the faster the transformation. If your essence is insufficient, the transformation may fail."

"Then, the Gate of Qi refers to the Force aspect, right?" one of the disciples deduced.

"Correct. The Gate of Qi involves fusing the True Intent we visualize with our Force, thereby obtaining incredibly powerful Force techniques."

"What about the Gate of Spirit? Or what if all three gates are broken?"

"Ha, want to know the answer? Wait until you've developed your Force first!"

Buzz!

The scene faded, and Chen Feng stood still, slightly dazed.

It took him a full ten seconds to digest the memory.

The confusion and daze in his eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by clarity.

"So that's how it is."

"No wonder only my Will attribute has stopped growing, while the others are still improving."

"It's because I broke through the Gate of Essence."

Deep in thought, Chen Feng recalled the use of the Serpent Spirit Fruit.

[Enhances physical strength, purifies the body, and strengthens essence.]

It was precisely because of this that he had been able to surpass his Flame Steel Body and break through the shackles.

"From this perspective, if I can cultivate the Crimson Tiger Force to the perfection of the Heavenly Flame level and fuse the Myriad Tempered Steel with the Crimson Tiger Force into the Heavenly Flame Technique..."

"That should be the so-called Gate of Qi."

Everything clicked. After digesting the residual memory, Chen Feng had grasped the general logic of the Grandmaster's Three Gates.

Each gate would bring specific advantages, and there should be no clear superiority between them.

However, breaking through more gates would undoubtedly make one stronger than an ordinary Grandmaster.

Breaking through all three gates would be even more so.

"But..."

Looking at the four-dimensional attributes on his panel, Chen Feng still didn't know how long his transformation would take.

Only when the transformation was complete would he truly stand in this realm and reach his peak state.

Therefore...

He lowered his gaze to the serpent-shaped pattern on his palm, a glint of determination flashing in his eyes.

Two days later.

In the gym of Tian Hao Security.

Chen Feng single-handedly lifted a nearly thousand-kilogram barbell, while the staff member guarding the area was already numb to it.

His burly figure stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, lifting the weight as if it were a toy.

"Still no news from Jin Wei?" Chen Feng asked, still looking out at the vast cityscape.

Skyscrapers stood tall, and some out-of-town corporations had begun setting up branches in Nanjiang.

"No."

Lin Hao was doing weighted squats with a kettlebell nearby, drenched in sweat and struggling.

His gray sports shirt was soaked, and droplets of sweat had formed on the floor.

"The United Coalition has deployed the Sky Eye, but they still haven't found Jin Wei."

"It's the same on my end. It's as if he just vanished."

After explaining, he finally caught his breath, put down the kettlebell, and took a towel handed to him by a subordinate to wipe off the sweat.

Chen Feng didn't respond, just turned his gaze back to the room.

It was a private gym spanning nearly a hundred square meters, equipped with barbells, bench presses, and other small to medium-sized fitness equipment.

Over the past two days, to prepare for Jin Wei's potential retaliation, Lin Hao hadn't gone anywhere.

Sometimes, when he got too restless, he would come to the gym to work out, dragging Chen Feng along for some casual training.

Bang!!

The barbell was set down, its black plates stacked like a wall.

The floor shook, and the windows rattled.

Lin Hao raised an eyebrow, secretly impressed. The subtle expressions of the staff around them—some with mouths agape, others squinting—were all easily caught by him.

In an instant, a panel appeared before him.

[Extreme Martial Arts Points: 4]

[Limit Breaking Points: 19]

The gains from his risky ventures in the danger zone over the past two days had slowly improved his four-dimensional attributes. He had resisted the urge to return to the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm.

Beyond that, his gaze shifted downward.

[Perception LV4: 1/100]

His Perception talent had finally leveled up, and he could feel a subtle difference in himself.

The same world, the same everything.

The black, white, blue, green, red, yellow, and purple hues—the bodyguards in the room, the sweat on the kettlebell handles, the flying cars zooming past outside, the workers cleaning the windows on the skyscrapers.

All were living and moving normally, existing in this world.

But.

"In my eyes, everything has slowed down."

Chen Feng glanced out the window, the structure of the flying cars clearly visible.

Every inch of movement seemed like a frame drop, and the actions of the others in the room were the same.

The still-widened eyes, the slightly relaxed brows.

He was certain this wasn't an illusion.

It was a new effect from the upgrade and breakthrough in his Perception.

Aside from the range expanding to three hundred meters, as long as he focused his mind, he could activate it.

This allowed every instant of his focused observation to be rapidly processed in his mind, giving him the sensation that the world had slowed down, as if experiencing frame drops.

Leaving aside other potential uses, just in terms of combat.

Chen Feng felt that he could use this as a foundation to observe changes in others' muscles, Force, and energy, predicting their attack intentions.

It was undoubtedly powerful and once again compensated for his lack of agility.

Of course, there was a cost.

Such intense focus would drain his mental energy.

At present, he could only maintain it for about ten minutes at most.

"But that's enough."

The light in his eyes remained bright. Chen Feng knew that ten minutes was more than enough to deal with any enemy.

Then, pushing aside all distractions.

He turned to Lin Hao and shared his thoughts.

"Since Jin Wei hasn't shown himself, it means he's probably realized that this place isn't so easy to breach."

"He's likely waiting for the right moment."

"Yes, I think so too." Lin Hao nodded.

"So, I have a plan."

"Oh?"

"Leave this place and lure him out."

Chen Feng spoke calmly, but Lin Hao was taken aback.

"Go out as bait?"

"Yes."

"This..." Lin Hao was hesitant.

For one, it concerned his life, so he naturally didn't want to take the risk.

Secondly, he had invested a lot of effort into the security company. If he left, what if Jin Wei attacked and bombed the place?

After all, if he were to leave, he would need both Liu Bo and Chen Feng for safety.

That would mean the company would lose its defense against a Titanium-grade Cyborg.

Even if he evacuated everyone, the reputation and credibility of Tian Hao Security would be shattered by the bombing.

"Give me two more days."

With a calm expression, Chen Feng patted his shoulder, their eyes meeting.

"After that, I alone will be enough to take you out and handle everything."

Two days would be enough for him to improve his Extreme Martial Fist.

And to obtain a few more Serpent Spirit Fruits, completely transforming his physique and truly standing as a Grandmaster.

That way, no matter what tricks or schemes Jin Wei had, Chen Feng could crush them all.

---

Bang!!

In a conference room.

Blood splattered as a man in a suit was punched through the chest.

A golden metal arm, stained with blood, emerged from his back.

The man with long, flowing hair looked at the dying man, whose eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Why... why?"

They were both members of Utopia. Even if he hadn't contributed much, he had still put in effort. Why kill him?

"Waste doesn't deserve to live and consume resources."

Jin Wei's tone was cold as he pulled out his arm.

Thud!

The man collapsed, blood pooling on the gray floor.

Some kind of energy on the metal arm caused the blood to evaporate rapidly, leaving no trace.

Seeing this, the other man in the room turned pale. The circular badge on his chest stood out prominently.

"Jin... Jin Wei."

"Was... was that really necessary?"

"Old Shen put in a lot of effort to help you return to the country..."

His voice trembled as he spoke, and Jin Wei gave him a cold glance.

"That's why I only killed him."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man with the badge felt a chill in his heart.

Seeing that he didn't dare to speak further, Jin Wei returned to the head of the oval table, leaning on it with his elbows.

"After the last riot, the branch was completely destroyed just to save you two for future use."

"But... if we've been exposed, what's the point?"

He was well aware that his whereabouts had been discovered by the Nanjiang City Council.

The reason was that these fools had failed to cover their tracks, revealing their identities and allowing others to set a trap.

If not for that, he would have already stormed into Tian Hao Security's building, destroyed everything, and left.

He wouldn't be so passive now.

"This..."

The middle-aged man sitting on the left side of the oval table didn't dare to argue. In truth, if Jin Wei hadn't been angry, he wouldn't have known that their identities had been exposed.

Feeling a sense of dread, he knew exactly what this meant.

Since the last incident, the Nanjiang City United Coalition had tightened control over the city.

Moreover, due to the recent turmoil in Suro and the city's investment initiatives, they had reportedly invited a Titanium-grade Cyborg from the Provincial Council to oversee things.

If they were really traced back to him, he would likely be executed alongside Jin Wei.

"Let's continue."

Jin Wei's tone was indifferent as he ignored the man, sitting back in his leather chair and lightly tapping the oval table.

The woman in a suit and pencil skirt across from him had been terrified, her face pale. But she forced herself to stay calm, pressed her wristwatch, and projected a blue screen in front of her.

"We've... we've already investigated."

"On the surface, Tian Hao Security only has three Silver-grade Cyborgs, but... the company's behind-the-scenes controller is somewhat special."

The woman suppressed all emotions, forcing herself not to look at the blood and body on the floor, and focused on the projection.

"Lin Hao, twenty-three years old, arrived in Nanjiang a year ago, obtained a temporary residence permit, and settled here."

"He rented an apartment in Lakeside Garden for a year and started frequently visiting the Nanjiang black market about seven months ago, establishing private connections with city defense personnel."

As she spoke, the projection screen displayed photos and information about Lin Hao.

"Three months ago, he began training at the Flame Tiger Martial Hall and purchased a core class membership, but his martial progress was minimal. Later, he established the Hao Feng Boxing Club to network with the city's elite families and expand his security business."

"Based on funding sources, it's suspected that he has some connection with the Jadeite Biotech Group in Yun Port's inner city, but the specifics are unknown."

"Additionally, the Cyborg modules and high-grade metals he smuggled into Nanjiang were likely obtained from the Yun Port black market..."

A string of information was presented, but Jin Wei remained expressionless, only tapping the table with his finger.

However, the other surviving middle-aged man looked uneasy.

Jadeite Biotech.

That was a renowned top-tier corporation in Feng Province, excelling in biological research, Cyborg technology, and modifications. It was on par with Black Crystal Group, if not superior.

It had branches not only in Yun Port but also in other central cities, wielding significant influence in Chi Nation.

"Moreover, based on some investigations, we suspect he may have a high-level Cyborg protecting him, though the exact level is unclear."

"And the City Council's sudden pursuit this time might also be due to their tip-off..."

The woman in the suit finished her analysis and conclusions in one breath. Jin Wei narrowed his eyes but remained silent.

The other surviving middle-aged man grew nervous, worried that Jin Wei might go on a rampage, and quickly asked, "So what should we do?"

"Jadeite Biotech isn't to be trifled with, and the City Council will surely set up an ambush. They won't just stand by..."

Jin Wei glanced at him impatiently, his cold gaze like that of a lion, and the man immediately shut his mouth.

Only when the man could no longer withstand his imposing aura did Jin Wei look up and gaze out the window.

Nanjiang's cityscape remained bustling, and a flash of golden light flickered in his eyes.

"Hunters and prey can switch roles at any moment."

"Since they want to challenge me..."

He sneered, his arrogance undiminished.

"Let's see who comes out on top."

(End of the Chapter)
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