A New Talent Sphere (2100+)

Translator: Cinder Translations

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That evening, after finishing his teaching duties at the club and having dinner, Chen Feng reflected on his first day as an instructor. 

Despite it being his initial experience guiding others, his deep understanding of Sanda and Judo, coupled with his training in authentic martial arts techniques, made mentoring amateur-level members relatively effortless. 

"Goodbye, Coach Chen," Zhuang Xiaoqing said, her voice gentle as she departed. She had changed into a light-colored dress, radiating elegance, with a faint trail of perfume wafting in her wake. 

Nearby, Li Chengdong, dressed in loose black clothing, also waved goodbye. 

Watching their retreating figures from the club window, Chen Feng remained silent, but Lin Hao seemed to guess his thoughts. 

"An individual's power has limits," Lin Hao said, breaking the silence. "Sometimes, building connections can make all the difference when you least expect it." 

It was the driving philosophy behind the club—a calculated effort by Lin Hao to gather influence and resources for future endeavors. 

Unaware of Lin Hao's deeper plans, Chen Feng shook his head. "I wasn't thinking about that. I'm just puzzled why these two, given their privileged backgrounds, didn't join a martial arts academy's core program instead?" 

Lin Hao chuckled knowingly. "Martial arts academies prioritize talent. Have you ever seen anyone receive personal training from Coach Cao without meeting his strict standards?" 

"Besides, accessing authentic martial arts techniques is challenging without becoming a formal disciple. For those without the dedication or innate ability, learning combat techniques is a much easier path." 

Chen Feng mulled this over, slowly piecing together why certain platinum federation combat techniques had become so prevalent in Red Nation. The threshold for learning them was low, making them accessible to the average person. 

"Alright, enough of that. I should get going," Lin Hao said, preparing to leave. 

Chen Feng nodded and also made his way out of the club. 

As they exited, Chen Feng's sharp senses detected someone watching him from across the street. The individual quickly turned away, attempting to blend into the flow of pedestrians. 

A fleeting malice, masked under a calm exterior. 

"Well, well," Lin Hao said, noting Chen Feng's gaze. "Recognize him? He's from the boxing gym across the way." 

Lin Hao gestured toward a building on the other side of the mall. Its neon sign read Dongling Boxing Gym. Inside, the light revealed over a dozen trainees furiously practicing their punches. 

"They've got a decent number of students. Several of their instructors are professional-level." Lin Hao sighed. "Honestly, I didn't want to open the club here, worried it'd cause friction. But the location was too good to pass up." 

Lin Hao shook his head. "Since our club started drawing crowds, it's been a headache for them. They even came to stir trouble the other day, but your performance must've scared them into behaving." 

Chen Feng quietly observed the gym in the distance. The man who had been watching him had re-entered the boxing gym. Judging by his physique and movements, he likely had a Professional Level 6 capability. 

Though not a threat on par with someone like Coach Cao Tong, Chen Feng suspected the absence of authentic martial arts training accounted for the gap. 

'If they stay out of my way, I'll give them a chance to walk away,' Chen Feng thought, dismissing the matter. 

After parting ways with Lin Hao, he hailed a ride to the hospital to pick up Chen Yun. 

"The issue's been resolved," Chen Yun said during the ride. "Hongxia's family agreed to a settlement and received compensation." 

"Xiaoyao woke up today, but she's still in the ICU." 

Chen Feng listened in silence as Chen Yun updated him on the situation. 

"Oh, and I heard there's trouble brewing for Hong Guang Group. The person responsible for the incident was apparently killed by an enemy." 

"Poetic justice, I guess," Chen Yun sighed. "Hongxia's family was crying with relief when they heard the news." 

Chen Feng nodded slightly, careful not to reveal his involvement. 

---

In a sterile morgue, dim light illuminated the figure of a man standing beside a shrouded body. His black suit and gray-streaked hair gave him a foreboding presence. 

"Still no leads?" his deep voice reverberated in the room. 

"No, sir. The Safety Bureau's surveillance network hasn't detected the target within the city limits," a subordinate replied. "We suspect he's hiding in the outskirts." 

Zhao Jianlong, a man of authority and ferocity, gazed coldly at the covered corpse. 

Although the deceased wasn't his only heir, the loss struck a nerve. Allowing such an affront to go unanswered would tarnish his reputation. 

"Have you heard from Dong Tao?" 

"No, sir. He was ambushed by Utopia operatives and is currently unaccounted for." 

Zhao Jianlong's expression darkened. 

"Should we pressure the Safety Bureau regarding Utopia's activities?" another subordinate suggested. 

"First, locate the modified man," Zhao Jianlong ordered after a pause. "Spread the word—whoever finds him will have one favor from me." 

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Later that night, back home, Chen Feng prepared for bed. Once he lay down and closed his eyes, his consciousness drifted into the familiar dreamworld. 

Before him stretched a vast, shadowy landscape, with eight kilometers left to his destination—a branch of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. 

Adjusting the black backpack on his shoulder, Chen Feng glanced at the map before proceeding. 

As he ventured down a dim asphalt road, rows of low buildings emerged from the mist. 

Then, his senses sharpened. 

To his left stood a three-story house, exuding a vibrant aura visible only to his spiritual perception. 

Without hesitation, Chen Feng diverted his path, entering the courtyard. 

Atop the building, a brown sphere the size of a human head floated in place. It resembled a rock, mundane yet pulsing with an enticing glow. 

"A talent sphere?" 

Recognizing its potential, Chen Feng approached the building, his senses scanning for threats. 

Just as he reached the entrance— 

Click. 

A faint sound triggered a sharp wave of danger. Chen Feng instinctively rolled to the side. 

CRACK! 

The wall beside him splintered as a dark shadow streaked past, leaving a fist-sized crater in the pavement. 

"What is that?"

Startled and confused, Chen Feng focused his gaze.

A black needle-like object, long and slender, gleamed with a dark sheen.

Before he could even react, the sound of something slicing through the air rang out repeatedly, each noise identical to the one before.

His expression changed slightly, and Chen Feng swiftly dodged.

Thud! Thud! Thud!!

A muffled sound followed, and the ground beneath his feet began to form small craters.

A sharp pain shot through his right arm, and Chen Feng looked down to see a black needle had pierced through his skin.

"How could I get hurt?"

With a sudden burst of strength, he forced the needle out, and it fell to the ground with a faint clink.

Before he could fully process what was happening, an unusual noise reached his ears, and he immediately looked up.

On the rooftop of a three-story building across the street, a humanoid creature appeared.

It resembled a human woman, with black wavy hair flowing behind her and a pair of vibrating, black-veined cicada wings.

Her gaze was cold, her lips black, and her skin was pale, almost ghostly. Her body was mostly exposed, except for the black armor-like covering around her chest, thighs, and joints such as the shoulders and elbows.

However, at her rear, a strange feature caught Chen Feng's attention.

"A hornet?"

Chen Feng's gaze sharpened as he noticed the creature's hornet-like black-veined oval tail and a long, slender black needle, nearly a meter in length.

The sound of buzzing filled the air as more hornets appeared around the creature. They were the size of human heads and swarmed around her, some twenty of them in total.

Some of them had no stingers on their lower bodies, indicating that they were responsible for the earlier attack.

"What is this creature? A new Black Calamity species?"

A thought flashed in Chen Feng's mind, and he soon realized something was wrong.

A searing heat began to spread from the wound on his right arm, making his mind feel sluggish and his body burn with discomfort.

"It's poisonous!"

His face darkened as he realized his mistake.

Because the dream world couldn't lead to real death, he had let his guard down.

At that moment, sensing his deteriorating condition, or perhaps predicting his intent to escape, the half-human hornet woman gently waved her hand.

The hornets dispersed quickly, surrounding him while emitting sharp clicking sounds.

"!!"

A sense of impending danger hit him, and Chen Feng suppressed the discomfort as he immediately dodged.

But the creature's movements were too fast—within moments, seven or eight black needles shot through the air, like sniper bullets aimed directly at him.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sounds of high-speed projectiles filled the air, and Chen Feng saw flashes of dark green light.

He scowled, eyes locked onto the hornet woman and her hornet-like creatures, their dark green armor now marked with several needle-sized indentations.

"Seeking death!!"

Boom!!

Chen Feng's figure disappeared as he slammed the ground, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared next to two hornet-like monsters.

His fists moved like dragons, unstoppable and fierce.

A muffled explosion followed, and green blood sprayed out, splattering against the dark green armor.

"#@%#!"

The hornet woman roared angrily, spitting out several syllables that Chen Feng couldn't understand.

With a hum, her black-veined wings vibrated rapidly, and her body shot forward, leaving behind a blur of motion as she arrived in front of him.

The gust of wind created by her high-speed movement swept past, and debris fluttered around him.

As the needle-like stinger from behind her came at him, Chen Feng sidestepped and raised his right arm, his muscles tensing.

Huff!

It felt like a wisp of white vapor exhaled from his body, or like ripples in water gathering at a single point.

Sensing something wrong, the hornet woman quickly vibrated her wings and retreated.

Whoosh!!!

The gust from her retreat caused nearby hornet creatures to explode, while her thick, dark green arms smashed through the air like a battering ram, unyielding and relentless.

Clang!!!

The sound of metal clashing echoed as the hornet woman's tail flicked, using her stinger to block Chen Feng's powerful punch.

With a grunt, blood seeped from her lips, and her eyes grew wild with fury.

As her wings vibrated again, her figure flew into the air, bringing several hornet creatures with her as she hovered, coldly staring down at Chen Feng.

Click!

An unusual sound rang out, and the burning sensation inside him intensified. The discomfort grew more acute.

A sense of impending danger rose in his heart. Chen Feng took a deep look at the creature, seemingly memorizing her features.

He then turned and, with a burst of energy, raced off like an arrow.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed as the hornet woman hesitated for a moment, her stinger poised to strike but then halted as she watched him flee.

Finally, she flapped her wings, leading the remaining hornet creatures as they slowly retreated, vanishing into the darkness behind the building.

"I almost got surrounded."

Several minutes later, after confirming he wasn't being pursued, Chen Feng deactivated his armor, his body swaying as he used a wooden cabinet to steady himself, entering an apartment.

He had let his guard down, not activating his armor in time, or perhaps due to his rapid power growth and the strength of his Flame Tiger Stance, he had become a little complacent.

If not for that, the poison wouldn't have invaded, and his movements wouldn't have slowed.

He actually had the chance to take down the hornet woman earlier.

"I'm simply not strong enough."

Suppressing his thoughts, Chen Feng looked at the wound on his right arm.

It had only pierced his skin slightly, but now, near the wound, the skin had turned a dark, ominous color.

He had assumed the poison would be severe, and he still thought so initially.

However, as time passed, he noticed the burning sensation and the pain were slowly fading.

At first, he was confused, but then he understood.

"Of course, my physique is already strong, and I have hardened body techniques to protect me."

"The human body has its own self-defense mechanisms. As long as the toxin doesn't exceed a certain threshold, the body can gradually eliminate it."

Chen Feng thought to himself, but he knew that if the poison had come from the hornet woman, he might not have been able to resist it.

"I wonder which Black Calamity creature this is, and if it has any weaknesses."

A thought crossed his mind as he remembered the brown-colored talent orb.

Without eliminating the hornet woman, he wouldn't be able to absorb it.

With this in mind, feeling his weakness fading slightly, Chen Feng took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

Soon, he moved again, heading into another area to search for Limit Breaking Light Orbs and any records related to Black Calamity creatures.

(End of the Chapter)

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Read (MF) ahead on (pa treon. com/CinderTL) – Chapter 118.

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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.