Translator: CinderTL
That day, as the black motorcade slowly came to a halt, the Red Nation Embassy in Black Harbor City went on high alert, its black iron gates clanging shut.
Four fully armed Red Nation soldiers stood guard at the entrance, their rifles at the ready. Meanwhile, two elite security teams, led by the Red Guard, patrolled the embassy grounds.
The embassy occupied nearly two thousand square meters, enclosed by a red-lacquered wall that separated it from the outside world.
Green plants dotted the grassy lawns along the walls, and trees grew tall, their branches reaching skyward. The smooth, wide ground, paved with gray stone bricks, stretched out in a long, unbroken expanse.
The flags of the Red Nation and the Federation fluttered side by side atop the central flagpole, their colors vivid against the sky. Seven or eight black sedans were parked neatly in a row on the left side of the grounds.
A three-story red-lacquered building stood at the heart of the embassy, its façade clean and well-maintained.
Yellow-skinned Red Nation people moved about the grounds, as if they had found a peaceful sanctuary in this foreign land.
"Those Federation bastards raised on bird eggs won't stand idly by," one of the guards muttered. "Don't let your guard down during the night patrols."
"You, you, Luo Ping, and you three, each lead a team and maintain twenty-four-hour vigilance."
"The negotiations don't start until tomorrow. Keep a close watch on everything!"
The delegation's Flying General-level Security Personnel quickly issued orders, implementing a series of defensive and security measures.
From the second-floor corridor, one could easily peer over the perimeter wall and through the gaps in the high-voltage barbed wire, observing the city streets beyond.
There, unfamiliar white and black faces came and went.
A palpable sense of hostility and alienation permeated the air. Brown, azure, and hazel eyes occasionally glanced toward the embassy grounds, their gazes cold and probing.
"It seems they're not willing to give up so easily."
The delegation members in the second-floor conference room watched this scene unfold through the detection light screen, their expressions grave. A military security officer even snorted coldly.
"Their initial show of force failed, so they'll definitely escalate their tactics."
"As long as we remain within federation territory, we can't let our guard down for a single moment."
The others nodded in agreement.
Though the port incident had been temporarily resolved, the actual negotiations had yet to begin.
This was a matter of genuine self-interest; no one believed the Platinum Federation would simply let go.
"By the way, has the situation been clarified?" Chairman Li Yun suddenly asked, turning to the senior officials stationed at the embassy.
The Platinum Federation's earlier withdrawal had been suspiciously abrupt. When they tried contacting Red City, they received an unexpected response.
"Rumor has it that a massive Black Tide erupted in a Secret Realm Space in the southern part of the federation," one embassy official said hesitantly. "An Evil God Angel's true form reportedly crossed realms and descended, alarming the Sacred Beings there."
Chairman Li Yun and the others raised their eyebrows slightly at this news.
Meanwhile, Chen Feng, who had already separated from the group and taken up residence in a third-floor room, narrowed his eyes, his Perception picking up the group's discussion.
"A Black Tide eruption?"
His gaze deepened. This news was somewhat unexpected.
However, after a moment's reflection, he quickly understood.
Both the Red Nation and Suro had experienced Black Tide outbreaks, and the anchor points within Secret Realm Spaces had always posed a threat.
The Platinum Federation's territory was equally vast, containing numerous Secret Realm Spaces. It was hardly surprising that similar anchor points existed within their borders.
"Ah, no wonder," Chen Feng murmured.
"I knew the Sky Eye monitoring level here had suddenly dropped a bit," the Star Spirit said, reappearing after a long absence. She remained hidden within the circular bracelet, not manifesting a virtual body.
Earlier, when approaching Black Harbor City, she had deliberately maintained complete silence.
Now, perhaps due to the Black Tide's influence from the federal secret realm, or some other interference, the Sky Eye monitoring within Black Harbor City had weakened slightly, allowing her to release faint magnetic field fluctuations.
"Won't you be exposed?" Chen Feng asked. The Star Spirit shook her head within the bracelet.
"I've activated the shielding device and completed low-frequency band assimilation camouflage. As long as I don't project a virtual body and maintain low-power magnetic field fluctuations, there's no need to worry."
She explained earnestly, then mentioned the earlier incident at the harbor.
Though she had remained silent at the time, she had detected some anomalies and managed to intercept a bit of intelligence.
It was about communications between the federal military and the action bureau, involving a familiar Consortium.
After a brief explanation, Chen Feng's gaze turned icy.
"The Roth Family..."
Despite the cold glint in his eyes, he wasn't particularly surprised.
Back when Andrei and the action bureau agents had threatened him with an investigation, their accusations had already implicated the Roth Family.
So, they couldn't wait for me to make my move?
The thought flashed through his mind as he walked to the window and looked out.
Neon-lit streets stretched endlessly, and floating stairways formed a city within a city, seemingly only a foot away from the cloud layer.
His gaze swept past the nearby streets, reaching the federal congress hall at the city's center and one of the Roth Family's Consortium towers.
Figures of various skin tones hurried back and forth, a subtle malice permeating the air around the Red Nation Embassy.
"The New Covenant with the Roth Family..."
A predatory glint flashed in Chen Feng's eyes. He knew this karmic debt needed to be settled.
Moreover,
A panel materialized, displaying several lines of information:
[ Heart of Glory LV7: 31/100 ]
[ Azure Armor LV8: 57/100 ]
The chaos he'd caused at the port seemed to have yielded good results. Combined with the Hurricane Island incident in the Dead Crow Secret Realm, it had provided him with a significant boost in growth.
Furthermore, Azure Armor had also grown, its progress bar now more than halfway full.
Clearly sensing his talent strengthening, Chen Feng regained his composure, his gaze turning unusually profound.
The greater the storm, the greater the harvest.
He suddenly found himself looking forward to the upcoming negotiations and began planning how to conclude them, completely resolving the Roth Family's grievances.
Buzz!
In an instant, his mind jolted as a message flooded his consciousness, forcibly interrupting his thoughts.
Far from being annoyed, his eyes lit up, twin beams of scorching light erupting from his pupils.
The reason? He had heard Gata's jubilant cry!
The world ark they had been desperately searching for might finally have a confirmed location!
Wooo!
The long, mournful blast of a cargo ship's horn echoed across the night curtain, its sound lingering over the endless waves.
White searchlight beams pierced the darkness, sweeping across the undulating sea.
"What's that?"
On the deck of the passing cargo ship, a white sailor frowned, his brown hair cropped short. He looked to be in his early thirties.
His patrolling companion paused, directing the searchlight beam into the distance. All he saw was an expanse of jade-green waves.
"What is it?" he asked, puzzled, detecting no movement.
The moon's clear light spilled across the night curtain, and the summer sea remained refreshingly cool.
"Didn't you see it? Something that looked human but wasn't quite."
"It seemed to have features of fish-like creatures too."
The white sailor couldn't help but speak up, his tone a mix of confusion and wonder, tinged with uncertainty.
His companion beside him froze for a moment before bursting into scornful laughter.
"You've been watching too many superhero movies."
"There's no such thing. It was probably just a large sea fish passing by."
The dismissive explanation seemed to reassure the others, but the white sailor frowned.
The night's poor visibility and the abundance of marine life in this area—including sharks and other large sea creatures—made him wonder if he had simply imagined it.
With that thought, his frown relaxed, and he abandoned his earlier claim.
The cargo ship, laden with containers, sailed away, gradually leaving the area.
Sensing all this, Chen Feng, who had been holding his breath underwater, withdrew his gaze and turned to the kneeling Merman beside him.
The creature had an eel-like head, a humanoid body, and stood nearly three meters tall.
He was Kado, a member of the Eelmen Clan from the Merman Tribe, a Fourth-Tier warrior.
After receiving Gata's message, Chen Feng left the Red Nation Embassy, carefully suppressing his life magnetic field as he slipped into the great ocean under the cover of night.
This Merman was the escort Gata had sent to meet him.
"Please punish me, Master," Kado said, half-kneeling on the gray-black reef, his head bowed slightly, avoiding Chen Feng's gaze. Perhaps he felt guilty for nearly jeopardizing the mission and being discovered by the humans of this world.
Chen Feng shook his head. "Lead the way," he said, showing no sign of blame.
The waters near Black Harbor City were teeming with cargo ships, their radar detection screens stretching far and wide. He should have warned Gata to restrain himself, preventing this unauthorized action.
"Hah!"
Sensing Chen Feng's unspoken forgiveness, Kado breathed a sigh of relief, though he remained cautious.
Without another word, he channeled his spiritual power, transforming his body.
Buzz!
In an instant, a massive eel, six or seven meters long, materialized in his place. The creature manipulated the surrounding seawater, creating a wave that lifted Chen Feng onto its back.
"Whoa, these Mermen actually have this kind of ability?" the Star Spirit exclaimed in Chen Feng's mind, her voice tinged with surprise and a hint of excitement. "If we could apply Biological Modification techniques, we could turn humans into amphibious warriors who fear no ocean!"
Chen Feng understood the Star Spirit's intention to conduct biological modification experiments.
"What do you think, Chen Feng? Are you interested?"
"We only need to extract a portion of the Mermen's Essence Blood. We could even use it for trade with your civilization later."
"No need," Chen Feng replied, shaking his head.
He had long since heard the Star Spirit explain the principles of Biological Modification.
The process required extracting a certain amount of bio-essence from extraordinary creatures for genetic analysis.
It sounded promising.
But in reality, this method inherently harmed the creatures whose bio-essence was extracted.
The success rate of Biological Modification, as well as the final strength and abilities of the modified individual, were directly related to the quantity and quality of the extracted bio-essence.
In essence, it was a technological means of forcibly replacing the corresponding extraordinary creature, stripping it of all its abilities.
He had no such intentions for now. Moreover, the Mermen Clan had already been branded with his Soul Flame, making them far more loyal than ordinary humans.
"Alright," the Star Spirit said, unsurprised. She didn't press the matter further.
It had merely been a fleeting impulse.
The apocalyptic encounter in the Dead Crow Secret Realm had left a deep impression on Chen Feng, instilling in him a sense of urgency.
Whoosh!
The seawater churned violently.
The massive electric eel, manifested from the Mermen, had already begun to swim forward. The two silently agreed not to mention the matter again.
Beneath the night curtain, the deep sea lay shrouded in darkness, its seabed reefs stretching from the continental shelf.
Seaweed swayed gently in the undulating currents.
Occasionally, apex predators like white sharks and orcas appeared, but they fled in terror long before approaching.
These marine creatures possessed an innate sense of danger, and Kado, the Merman, made no attempt to conceal his aura.
Though only a Fourth-Tier cultivator, he stood at the apex of the food chain in Earth's oceans.
As they continued their journey, underwater cliffs and rocky mountains emerged from the depths.
Chen Feng silently monitored the mental link in his mind, its range steadily shrinking.
Finally, after half an hour of relentless travel, the Soul Flame in his mind buzzed and flared. Chen Feng spotted Gata's silhouette in the distance.
The Ghostly Blue Giant Octopus loomed nearly a kilometer away, surrounded by a vast underwater canyon.
Fault lines fractured the nearby reefs, and the seawater grew even darker and more abyssal.
Sha!
Sensing his arrival, Gata let out a joyful cry from afar.
In an instant, two brilliant lights pierced the dark seawater, burning like twin lanterns.
The massive Ghostly Blue eye, fully three meters in diameter, had grown exponentially since Gata reached Saint-level, now measuring nearly fifty meters in length.
Whoosh!
Kado, beneath Chen Feng's feet, surged forward, leaving a trail of electric arcs in its wake.
The other five Mermen appeared in succession, clearly under Gata's orders, flanking Chen Feng and patrolling vigilantly.
Sha!
"Well done."
Chen Feng descended into the Deep Sea Canyon, guided by Gata's tentacles, landing gently on the seabed.
The black sea mud shifted slightly, revealing faint gray streaks.
Without needing to activate his Perception, Chen Feng clearly saw a gray metallic fragment embedded in the mudstone.
Deeply embedded and incredibly durable.
The surrounding reef fractures were clean-cut, as if shattered by brute force.
"This!"
"It's S-21 alloy!!"
Hum!
The Star Spirit materialized instantly. Now that they were outside Black Harbor City, she no longer hesitated and manifested as a Virtual Projection.
Her voice trembling with excitement, she instinctively unleashed a blue light magnetic wave, piercing the seabed to scan the area.
Sha?!
The massive Ghostly Blue eye swiveled, Gata's tentacles twitching as he glanced at the Star Spirit with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
This was the first time it had ever seen such a creature with its own eyes.
The surrounding Mermen also stared in astonishment, convinced they had never encountered such a life form before.
Chen Feng offered no explanation, silently activating his Perception to synchronize with the Star Spirit. He followed the gray trail deep into the seabed.
Reefs, rock strata, sand...
In less than two breaths, he spotted the colossal object buried beneath the seafloor.
It was a metallic hull over a kilometer long, lying dormant for countless ages.
Its design bore a striking resemblance to the Inverted Pyramid ruins in the Radiant Light Secret Realm, as well as the later-discovered Heaven's Fall and Geocore vessels.
The dark brown alloy surface was covered in mottled streaks and pockmarked with uneven dents and breaches.
In some places, massive holes had been torn open, revealing the ship's interior corridors and alloy bulkheads.
Seaweed stubbornly grew within these breaches, while tiny deep-sea organisms had taken refuge inside, forming thriving colonies that had clearly persisted for generations.
His gaze locked onto a particular spot.
Chen Feng knew he had come to the right place.
This was the lost Windrider, a world ark suspected to contain Fragments of Divinity and potentially vast resources.
In other words,
the breakthrough nourishment for the Divine Awakening Method, and the resurrection materials needed for the Heroic Spirit Hall's angels...
Might finally be within reach!
(End of the Chapter)
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