Chapter 1: Luo Feng
The sky blazed an azure so deep it resembled a colossal sapphire, while the midsummer sun hung like a fiery orb within its glistening embrace, casting an estimate of 3 PM by its position.
At the Third High School of Yi'an District,
"Ding ding ding..." The resounding bell pierced through the campus, instantly erupting into a cacophony of chatter as students streamed out of every building, laughing and chatting in groups toward the school gates.
"Senior Brother Luo Feng! Senior Brother Luo Feng!" A gruff voice boomed.
"Ah Feng, someone's calling you," a classmate nudged him.
Amidst the throng, a youth clad in plain blue sportswear, standing at 1.75 meters with a lean build, glanced back in confusion. The caller was a burly boy, nearly 1.9 meters tall with a physique like a bear, his arms gruesomely muscular.
"Who are you?" Luo Feng asked, puzzled—he didn't recognize the man.
The two stood in stark contrast: one a hulking bear of a man, the other an unassuming ordinary student. In height, they were worlds apart. Yet the burly boy seemed somewhat restrained as he sized up his idolized "Senior Brother Luo Feng," thinking to himself, The rumors were right; he really is easy-going.
"Senior Brother Luo Feng, I... I need your help with something," the burly boy stammered.
"What is it?" Luo Feng asked with a smile.
"When I practice my boxing, something feels off with my power. I was wondering if you had time to give me some pointers," the boy explained eagerly. "According to the martial arts instructor, with my strength, I should be able to punch with 50% more force. But no matter what, I can't seem to reach that level."
The boy looked at Luo Feng with hope.
"Oh? Let me think..." Luo Feng paused, then nodded. "How about this Sunday afternoon at the martial arts hall, you look for me there."
"Thank you, Senior Brother! Thank you!" the burly boy replied gratefully.
Luo Feng chuckled and left with his classmates.
Watching him go, the burly boy's face lit up with excitement. He clenched his fist, veins bulging, and let out a low growl: "Success!"
"Senior Brother Luo Feng actually agreed so easily?" a boy in uniform exclaimed in surprise.
"The rumors were right; he's really approachable and kind-hearted," the burly boy said with a grin.
"But... that doesn't make sense! Among the five thousand students in our school, only three have earned the title of 'Advanced Martial Artist' at the martial arts hall. The other two, Zhang Haobai and Liu Ting, are both arrogant and never bother to help us. How come Senior Brother Luo Feng is so nice?" the uniformed boy wondered.
In today's world, nearly every high school student, besides their academic studies, joins a martial arts hall to develop their potential.
At the Third High School of Yi'an District, nearly five thousand students were spread across three grades.
The vast majority were "beginner-level" students, with only a handful at the "intermediate" level. Only three had earned the prestigious "Advanced" title!
"Seeing is believing. Look, Senior Brother Luo Feng is different from the other two," the burly boy said, smirking. "Zhang Haobai and Liu Ting come from wealthy families. They've spent a fortune on training since they were young to get where they are. But Senior Brother Luo Feng... he's different!"
The uniformed boy nodded. "I've heard he's just like us, from a regular family, even living in a government-subsidized apartment."
"Exactly! Senior Brother Luo Feng has reached where he is today through sheer hard work. He's earned every bit of it with his own fists and feet. Not like Zhang Haobai and the others," the burly boy said, clenching his fist and taking a deep breath. "My goal is to become an Advanced Martial Artist like him. I'm determined to pass the hall's assessment and earn that title within four years—before I graduate from college!"
...
Meanwhile, the Senior Brother Luo Feng they were discussing was walking toward the school gates with a boy in athletic wear, threading through the student crowd.
"Ah Feng, that big guy who asked for your help was bragging to his classmates about you just now. He said you're a good person and easy to talk to," the athletic boy said with a laugh.
"Jealous, are we?" Luo Feng teased.
"Jealous of you? In your dreams!" Wei Wen chuckled, touching his nose. "I'm just amazed that big guy doesn't know the real deal about his 'Senior Brother Luo Feng.' I remember clearly... during that duel at the martial arts hall, the 'Senior Brother Luo Feng' he admires defeated three Advanced students, leaving them all unable to get up."
Luo Feng smiled.
That battle was indeed his moment of fame.
Luo Feng clapped Wei Wen on the shoulder and said, "Let's go home."
Wei Wen exaggeratedly flinched. "Hey, Feng, easy with that! You almost shattered my shoulder!"
"Stop faking it!" Luo Feng scoffed. Wei Wen had been his childhood friend, wearing diapers together since they were little. Though not blood brothers, their bond was just as strong.
Through elementary, middle, and high school, their friendship had grown deep.
"Huh?"
Wei Wen suddenly pointed ahead. "Ah Feng, look—it's the girl you like!"
"Eh?" Luo Feng followed his gaze and saw a girl with a ponytail, wearing jeans and a light blue polo shirt, walking along the roadside near the school gates.
His heart skipped a beat.
The name that flashed through his mind was Xu Xin!
His secret crush on Xu Xin was known to very few, but his best friend Wei Wen had known for a long time.
In their first year, when Luo Feng and Xu Xin were in the same class, he was struck by her presence from the moment he saw her. Sitting at the back of the classroom, he couldn't help but steal glances at her retreating figure, content just to watch.
In their second year, class reshuffling meant they were no longer in the same class. Yet, every time he saw Xu Xin, he couldn't help but look her way...
"There's only a month left until the college entrance exams," Luo Feng thought to himself. "I never had the courage or time to pursue a relationship back then. And now, with only a month left, everyone is busy reviewing for the exams. Xu Xin is a strong-willed girl. How could I afford to be distracted by romance? Besides, if I get distracted now, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
"Forget it, this crush... let's just keep it as a memory," he thought.
A crush...
Bitter, yet it withered before it bloomed.
Luo Feng wanted to keep it all to himself.
"Hey, you didn't pursue Xu Xin, and now there's only a month left until the exams," Wei Wen said, shaking his head. "You might never see her again. If you regret it later, it'll be too late."
"Wei Wen," Luo Feng shook his head, "stop talking. I won't be distracted by romance until I earn the title of 'Warrior.'"
"Brother, you're ruthless!"
Wei Wen gave him a thumbs-up. "Warrior title? None of the five thousand students in our school has ever gotten it. And you say you won't be distracted until you get it. Impressive, really!"
"Hmm?" Luo Feng suddenly glanced at five figures at the school gate. "Zhang Haobai?"
The group of five, conspicuous at the school gate, was led by a young man over 1.8 meters tall, wearing a white T-shirt and pants, with prominently defined pectoral muscles. The four around him were either burly or scarred, clearly tough characters. The man in white was none other than Zhang Haobai—one of the three Advanced Martial Artists at the Third High School.
" Luo Feng," Zhang Haobai glanced at him, snorting disdainfully.
If there was anyone in the school Luo Haobai hated most, it was definitely Luo Feng!
After all, among the three Advanced Martial Artists, one was a woman. Among the male students, only the two of them held the title!
Moreover, Zhang Haobai came from a wealthy family, while Luo Feng was from an ordinary background, living in a subsidized apartment.
Academically—Luo Feng overshadowed Zhang Haobai.
In terms of martial prowess—both were Advanced Martial Artists, but Luo Feng had once defeated three Advanced students in the hall, leaving them incapacitated, including Zhang Haobai, who lost a tooth in the process.
And then there was the matter of family background—Zhang Haobai's family was clearly wealthy!
With all these advantages, Zhang Haobai's resentment toward Luo Feng was immense.
"Let's go," Zhang Haobai licked his teeth, wincing at the lingering pain from their last encounter.
"Since that beating at the martial arts hall, Zhang Haobai has been much better behaved. He doesn't bother you anymore," Wei Wen said with a laugh as they watched the group leave.
Zhang Haobai?
Luo Feng never took such a spoiled rich kid seriously.
"Mind your own business," Luo Feng said, heading home with Wei Wen.
...
On their way home,
"Beep—beep—" The sounds of electric cars honking occasionally echoed through the streets. Nowadays, vehicles ran on "electric energy," at least the pungent smell of gasoline was gone.
"We've got a month left until the exams. We need to study hard," Luo Feng said, walking on the sidewalk with Wei Wen. "I can take it easy at the martial arts hall for now. Just do some recovery training daily, and focus my energy on academics. After all, the college entrance exam is crucial. We've been studying for twelve years. This is it."
"Exactly! Twelve years of academic grind, all decided by one exam," Wei Wen sighed. "The college entrance exam is like crossing a single-log bridge over a thousand troops."
"Mhm!" Luo Feng nodded.
His family's financial situation wasn't great. Although his "Advanced Martial Artist" title guaranteed him a job as an "elite bodyguard" with an annual salary of twenty to thirty thousand, Luo Feng wasn't content with just that.
...
High above the skies of Yi'an District, about a kilometer up,
A colossal black-crowned golden eagle soared through the air. Its body stretched over twenty meters, resembling a large fighter jet, with feathers shimmering faintly with a cold metallic luster. Its head was adorned with dark feathers like a black crown, and its sharp, massive talons glinted golden yellow.
Its piercing, icy-blue eyes surveyed the human city below, hinting at a murderous intent.
"Boom!"
The already-fast eagle suddenly accelerated, breaking the sound barrier in an instant, reaching a terrifying speed. Simultaneously, a high-pitched eagle cry erupted from its beak, and the terrifying shockwaves generated by the sound waves visibly rippled outward.
...
At a crossroads on Baitian Road in Yi'an District, Luo Feng and Wei Wen waited for the traffic light.
Suddenly—
"Yong..."
A piercing cry erupted, unlike the thunderous roar of spring. The sound was sharp, causing Luo Feng's eardrums to throb in pain, and many pedestrians covered their ears in discomfort.
"It's a bird cry," Luo Feng thought, looking up.
"Ah?" Startled, Luo Feng's eyes widened.
The high-pitched cry caused the glass of a nearby skyscraper to vibrate ominously, with several panes cracking and even shattering, plummeting down. Some hit the sidewalk or people, while others crashed into streetlights.
"Crash!" "Bang!" "Snap!"
...
A burst of explosions.
One shard of glass struck a lamppost next to Luo Feng, shattering and spraying fragments everywhere, forcing pedestrians to dodge.
"Wow!" Wei Wen quickly stepped back to avoid the flying glass.
A sliver of glass, sharp as a blade, shot toward Luo Feng.
"Ah?" Luo Feng's gaze swept past it.
Without dodging, he stood still, his right hand flashing out to snatch the fragment. The glass reflected his face faintly as he weighed it, then casually tossed it like a hidden weapon toward a distant trash bin. It clanged accurately through the bin's opening.
Traffic on the road quickly returned to normal, but pedestrians on the sidewalk were buzzing with conversation. Some unlucky individuals were injured, but most were unharmed.
"That was intense," Luo Feng muttered, looking up at the sky. "A single cry from that height can cause so much damage. It must be an extremely powerful avian monster. Wei Wen, you're familiar with all kinds of monsters—do you know what it is?"
Wei Wen squinted, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Ah Feng, our city has a defense system at 500 meters above. This avian monster must be flying higher than that. Even from such a distance, its cry is so powerful. Plus, no ordinary monster would dare to provoke us in the city!"
"An impressive and arrogant one, then. From the sound of it, if my guess is right... it must be the fearsome 'Black-Crowned Golden Eagle'!" Wei Wen said solemnly.
"Black-Crowned Golden Eagle?" Luo Feng's eyes lit up.
He had heard of the fearsome reputation of the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle.
"The Black-Crowned Golden Eagle ranks third among eagles," Wei Wen said excitedly, his voice low. "An adult can reach 21 meters in length with a wingspan of around 36 meters. Its top speed in flight can hit 3.9 Mach. That's 3.9 times the speed of sound. Calculated at 340 meters per second, that's 1,326 meters per second—or 4,774 kilometers per hour."
Luo Feng knew the eagle was formidable, but hearing about its speed still left him breathless.
One second—one blink of an eye—and it could cover a kilometer.
"That Black-Crowned Golden Eagle's feathers are harder than diamonds, probably as tough as a Level 3 Cro alloy," Wei Wen continued excitedly. "There are videos online of it leading a monster horde attacking the military. Even with 20mm Vulcan cannons firing 7,000 rounds per minute—the metal storm that can penetrate 50mm steel plates—none of the shots could knock a single feather off it."
"Later, a mysterious martial artist with a Cro alloy saber sliced the eagle in half with a single strike!" Wei Wen said, his voice boiling with passion.
Luo Feng's heart raced. He had seen the video, too.
"I must earn the title of 'Warrior.' One day... I want to be like that senior, wielding a saber and slaying monsters like the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle and the Giant Devil Ape," Luo Feng thought to himself. Every young person harbors dreams, and Luo Feng was no exception.
Although...
Online rumors claimed that the mysterious warrior who sliced the eagle in half was one of the top 100 super-warriors in the world!
"Ah Feng, Ah Feng, what are you thinking about? We're home," Wei Wen called out.
Luo Feng snapped back to reality and looked up at the complex of tube-shaped buildings ahead—Nan'an Community, a government-subsidized housing complex where he had lived for eighteen years.