Luo Feng

The sky was a brilliant blue, like a colossal sapphire. The midsummer Sun, a fiery orb, hung high within this vast expanse. Judging by its position, it was likely around three in the afternoon. Yian District Third High School. Ding-ding-ding... The piercing bell echoed across the campus, instantly erupting into a cacophony of chatter. Students poured out of the academic buildings in a steady stream, laughing and chatting in groups of three to five as they headed towards the school gate. “Brother Luo Feng! Brother Luo Feng!” A deep, booming voice cut through the din. “Ah Feng, someone’s calling you.” Amidst the throng of students, a young man carrying books, dressed in a simple blue tracksuit, walked with his classmates. He stood about 1.75 meters tall and appeared lean. He turned, puzzled, to see a male student calling him. This student was roughly 1.9 meters tall, built like a bear, with arms astonishingly thick. “You are?” Luo Feng looked at the newcomer, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. He didn't seem to recognize the person. One was as burly as a black bear, while 'Brother Luo Feng' was just like any ordinary person. In terms of height, the difference between them was stark. Yet, the burly student seemed somewhat reserved. He carefully observed the 'Brother Luo Feng' he admired, thinking, “It seems the rumors are true. Brother Luo Feng is quite approachable.” “Brother Luo Feng, I… I have something I’d like to ask for your help with,” the burly student said nervously. “What is it?” Luo Feng asked with a smile. “When I practice my punches, I always feel like my power generation is off. I was wondering if you, Brother, might have some time to give me pointers,” the burly student quickly explained. “According to the Martial Arts Hall instructors, with my strength, I should theoretically be able to deliver 50% more force with a punch. But I can never quite reach that level.” The burly student looked at Luo Feng expectantly. “Oh, I see…” Luo Feng paused briefly, then nodded. “Alright, this Sunday afternoon, find me at the Martial Arts Hall.” “Thank you, Brother! Thank you so much!” the burly student gushed with gratitude. Luo Feng smiled and left with his classmate. Watching Luo Feng depart, the burly student’s face lit up with excitement. He clenched his fist, veins bulging on his arm, and let out an excited growl: “Success!” “Brother Luo Feng agreed just like that?” a student in a school uniform exclaimed in surprise. “The rumors were true after all. Brother Luo Feng is very approachable and a genuinely good person,” the burly student grinned. “But… that’s not right. Out of five thousand students in our Third High School, only three have earned the title of ‘Advanced Student’ at the Martial Arts Hall. Among those three, the other two, Zhang Haobai and Liu Ting, are incredibly arrogant. They wouldn’t waste their time giving us pointers,” the uniformed student said, puzzled. “How can Brother Luo Feng be so good-tempered?” In this era, almost every high school student across the globe, in addition to their academic education, joins a Martial Arts Hall to unlock their human potential. Yian District Third High School, across all three grades, had nearly five thousand high school students. The vast majority were Beginner Students at the Martial Arts Hall! Only a select few were Intermediate Students. And only three individuals had qualified as Advanced Students! “Hearing is believing, but seeing is knowing. Hmph, see? Brother Luo Feng is different from those other two,” the burly student scoffed. “Zhang Haobai and Liu Ting come from wealthy families. They’ve had vast sums of money poured into their training since childhood to become so strong. But Brother Luo Feng is nothing like them!” The uniformed student nodded. “I’ve heard that too. Brother Luo Feng, like us, comes from an average family and lives in subsidized housing.” “Exactly. Brother Luo Feng reached this point purely through arduous training. He forged his strength with his own two hands, unlike Zhang Haobai and the others.” The burly student clenched his fists and took a deep breath. “My goal is Brother Luo Feng! I’m determined to pass the Martial Arts Hall assessment and earn the ‘Advanced Student’ title within four years, before I graduate from university!” At this moment, the very 'Brother Luo Feng' they were discussing was walking with a student in a tracksuit, following the stream of students towards the Third High School gate. “Ah Feng, tsk-tsk, that big guy who asked you for pointers on ‘power generation’ was praising you to his classmate as he left,” the student in the tracksuit chuckled. “Saying you’re a good person and easy to talk to.” Luo Feng smiled. “What, Wei Wen, are you jealous?” “Jealous of you?” Wei Wen rubbed his nose, chuckling. “Dream on. I’m just lamenting that the big guy doesn’t know the true face of the ‘Brother Luo Feng’ he admires. I remember it clearly… that time in the Martial Arts Hall arena, his revered ‘Brother Luo Feng’ took on three opponents consecutively, beating all three Advanced Students until they couldn’t get up.” Luo Feng smiled. That battle was indeed his claim to fame. Luo Feng clapped Wei Wen on the shoulder, smiling. “Come on, let’s go home.” Wei Wen exaggeratedly flinched his shoulder, crying out, “Ah Feng, go easy! That pat nearly shattered my shoulder!” “Acting again!” Luo Feng pouted. Wei Wen was his best friend, someone he’d grown up with since childhood, practically inseparable. Though not blood brothers, their bond was just as strong. Elementary school, middle school, high school. Their friendship had deepened through the years. “Huh?” Wei Wen suddenly stared ahead. “Ah Feng, look, it’s the girl you have a crush on!” “Hm?” Luo Feng quickly looked as well. In the distance, amidst the crowd of students at the school gate, a ponytailed girl in jeans and a light-colored polo shirt was walking along the roadside. Luo Feng’s heart quickened slightly. A name flashed through his mind—Xu Xin! His crush on Xu Xin was a secret known to very few, but his good friend, Wei Wen, had naturally known for a long time. In his first year of high school, he and Xu Xin were assigned to the same class. The first time he saw Xu Xin, his eyes lit up… So, during class, sitting at the back, he somehow couldn’t control himself, involuntarily glancing at Xu Xin’s back as she sat in front, just watching her silently. Just being able to see Xu Xin’s back was enough for him. In his second year, due to class rearrangements, he and Xu Xin were no longer in the same class for their second and third years. Yet, whenever he saw Xu Xin, he couldn’t help but look. “Only one month left until the college entrance exam,” Luo Feng thought silently. “In the past, I never had the courage or the time to pursue a girl or date. And now, in this final month, everyone is busy with exam prep. Xu Xin is also a very driven girl. How could she possibly get distracted with dating now? Besides, in this last month before the exam, I can’t afford to lose focus either, or I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.” “Forget it. This crush… I’ll just keep it as a memory.” A crush… so bittersweet. It withered before it even bloomed. Luo Feng just wanted to quietly keep it all in his heart. “I told you to go after Xu Xin, but you didn’t. Now there’s only one month left until the college entrance exam,” Wei Wen shook his head. “You might never see Xu Xin again after this. You’ll regret it later, but it’ll be too late.” “Wei Wen,” Luo Feng shook his head. “Stop talking. Until I earn the title of ‘Warrior,’ I won’t let myself be distracted by dating.” “Brother, you’re hardcore!” Wei Wen gave a thumbs-up. “The Warrior title? Not a single person out of five thousand in our entire high school has managed to earn the ‘Warrior title.’ And you’re saying you won’t date until you get it? Impressive, truly impressive!” “Hm?” Luo Feng suddenly glanced at five other people near the school gate. “Zhang Haobai?” Among the students at the school gate, five individuals stood out. The young man leading them was at least 1.8 meters tall, dressed in a white T-shirt and white trousers, his chest muscles prominently defined. The four people around him were either burly or bore scars on their faces, clearly formidable individuals. And the young man in white was none other than Zhang Haobai, one of the three Advanced Students from Yian District Third High School’s Martial Arts Hall. “Luo Feng.” Zhang Haobai shot Luo Feng a glance, letting out a low grunt. If there was anyone Zhang Haobai hated most in the entire high school, it was clearly Luo Feng! After all, among the three who had earned the ‘Advanced Student’ title at the Martial Arts Hall, one was a girl. Among the boys, only he and Luo Feng were Advanced Students! Moreover, Zhang Haobai came from a wealthy family, while Luo Feng was from an ordinary household, living in subsidized housing. Academically—Luo Feng consistently outperformed Zhang Haobai! In terms of martial prowess—both Luo Feng and Zhang Haobai had earned the ‘Advanced Student’ title. However, Luo Feng had once fought three Advanced Students consecutively in the Martial Arts Hall, beating them until they couldn’t get up. Among those three, one was Zhang Haobai. That time, he’d been beaten so badly he lost a tooth! And in terms of family background, Zhang Haobai’s family was clearly rich! Despite his privileged background, Luo Feng overshadowed him both academically and martially. At school, whenever someone praised Zhang Haobai, others would often bring up Luo Feng for comparison! Resentment! Zhang Haobai’s resentment towards Luo Feng was immense. “Let’s go.” Zhang Haobai licked his teeth, which seemed to ache faintly. That time, he’d been beaten until his mouth was full of blood, and he’d lost a tooth. “That Zhang Haobai, ever since that beating at the Martial Arts Hall, he’s been much more well-behaved. He doesn’t dare provoke you anymore, Ah Feng,” Wei Wen said, smiling, as he watched Zhang Haobai and his group walk away. Zhang Haobai? Luo Feng had never truly paid attention to that spoiled brat. “Better to avoid trouble when possible,” Luo Feng said, then headed home with Wei Wen. On their way home. “Beep—beep—” Car horns occasionally blared on the street. Nowadays, cars ran on electricity, so at least there was no longer the smell of gasoline by the roadside. “Wei Wen, the college entrance exam is just a month away. We both need to really buckle down this month,” Luo Feng said as he and Wei Wen walked on the sidewalk. “We can ease up a bit on the Martial Arts Hall training. Just do some restorative exercises daily and focus our energy on academics. The college entrance exam is crucial, after all. We’ve been studying for twelve years for this one shot.” “Exactly, twelve years of academic study, all for this one exam to determine our future,” Wei Wen sighed. “The college entrance exam, oh the college entrance exam, it’s like thousands of soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge.” “Mm.” Luo Feng nodded as well. His family’s financial situation wasn’t great. Although his ‘Advanced Student’ title at the Martial Arts Hall guaranteed him a job as an ‘elite bodyguard’ even with poor academic results, earning two to three hundred thousand a year wouldn’t be an issue. But… how could Luo Feng be content with just being a bodyguard? At this moment, about a thousand meters above Yian District, a colossal Black-Crowned Golden Eagle soared through the city’s skies. Its body, roughly twenty meters long, resembled a large fighter jet. Its feathers shimmered with a cold, metallic sheen, and the feathers on its head were a deep black, like a dark crown. Its sharp, massive talons were golden-yellow. Its sharp, icy eyes, glowing with a blue light, gazed down at the human city below, subtly hinting at a murderous intent. “Boom!” The Black-Crowned Golden Eagle, already flying at high speed, suddenly accelerated, instantly breaking the sound barrier and reaching a terrifying velocity. Simultaneously, an extremely high-pitched eagle cry erupted from its beak. The terrifying sound waves generated visible shockwaves that rapidly spread downwards. At an intersection on Baitian Road in Yian District, Luo Feng and Wei Wen were waiting for the traffic light. Suddenly— “Aaaang~~~” A piercing shriek abruptly tore through the air. This sound was unlike the booming crash of spring thunder, which was loud and deafening. This high-pitched cry was shrill and grating. Luo Feng felt a dull ache in his eardrums and couldn’t help but wince, frowning in discomfort. Many pedestrians on the street covered their ears. “It’s the cry of a flying beast,” Luo Feng muttered, looking up at the sky. “Hm?” Luo Feng was startled. Under the reverberation of the high-pitched, piercing cry, large panes of glass on a skyscraper on the adjacent street emitted low “crack~crack~~” sounds. Many windows cracked, and more than a dozen panes instantly plummeted from high above. Some shattered on the sidewalk, hitting people, while others smashed into lampposts by the roadside. “Shatter!” “Thud!” “Crash!”… A series of explosive sounds filled the air. One piece of glass, in particular, struck a lamppost right next to Luo Feng, instantly shattering and spraying fragments in all directions, forcing many pedestrians to dodge. “Whoa!” Wei Wen quickly retreated two steps, dodging the shards of glass. One shard, like a blade, shot towards Luo Feng. “Hm?” Luo Feng’s gaze swept over it. He didn’t dodge, but stood calmly in place, his right hand shooting out like lightning, instantly snatching the incoming glass shard. The fragment faintly reflected Luo Feng’s image. He weighed it twice, then casually flicked it. The glass, like a thrown dart, shot directly towards a distant trash can, landing with a clang as it accurately entered the opening. On the road, the affected traffic quickly returned to normal, but pedestrians on the sidewalk were buzzing with discussion. Some unlucky individuals were injured, but most were unharmed. “How powerful,” Luo Feng murmured, looking up at the sky. “A single cry from such a high altitude, and it’s this potent. It must be an incredibly formidable flying monster. Wei Wen, you’re quite familiar with all sorts of monsters, aren’t you? Do you know what kind of monster that was?” Wei Wen squinted, a glint of excitement in his eyes. “Ah Feng, our city has a defense system at five hundred meters altitude. That flying monster was definitely above five hundred meters. To emit such a powerful sound from that distance, and with such destructive force… And ordinary monsters wouldn’t dare to be so brazen above a human city!” “So powerful, so arrogant, and judging by the sound, if my guess is correct… it must be the incredibly fearsome ‘Black-Crowned Golden Eagle’ among flying monsters!” Wei Wen stated solemnly. “Black-Crowned Golden Eagle?” Luo Feng’s eyes lit up. He had, of course, heard of the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle’s fearsome reputation. “The Black-Crowned Golden Eagle ranks third among eagle-type monsters,” Wei Wen said, his eyes gleaming, his voice low. “An adult Black-Crowned Golden Eagle typically reaches 21 meters in body length, with a wingspan of about 36 meters. Its top speed in flight can reach Mach 3.9. That’s a full 3.9 times the speed of sound. Calculating the speed of sound at 340 meters per second, that’s 1326 meters per second, or 4774 kilometers per hour.” Luo Feng knew the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle was formidable, but hearing its top speed of 1326 meters per second still made his heart race. One second, the blink of an eye. And it’s already a kilometer away. “This Black-Crowned Golden Eagle’s feathers are harder than diamonds, likely reaching the hardness of Third-tier Kro Alloy,” Wei Wen continued excitedly. “There’s a video online: a Black-Crowned Golden Eagle once charged an army with a horde of monsters and was subjected to bombardment from a 20mm Vulcan Cannon. A Vulcan Cannon fires 7000 rounds a minute—7000 rounds! That’s a stream of metal! And each round can penetrate 50mm of steel plate. Yet… the Vulcan Cannon’s furious barrage couldn’t even dislodge a single feather from the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle.” “Later, a mysterious Warrior expert, wielding a Kro Alloy battle saber, transformed into a streak of light and cleaved the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle in two with a single strike!” Wei Wen recounted, his blood boiling with excitement. Luo Feng’s heart also pounded, his blood surging! That video had circulated widely online, and he had seen it too. “The Warrior title, I will definitely earn the Warrior title. One day… I, too, will be like that senior, able to wield a battle saber and cleave through monsters like the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle and the Great Strength Demonic Ape,” Luo Feng vowed silently in his heart. Every young person harbored a dream, and Luo Feng held this very dream! Though… online, that mysterious expert who cleaved the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle in two with a single strike was rumored to be among the top 100 super Warriors globally! “Ah Feng, Ah Feng, what are you thinking about? We’re home,” Wei Wen called out. Luo Feng snapped out of his surging thoughts and looked up at the residential district ahead, composed of numerous block-style apartments—the South Bank Residential District. It was a subsidized housing complex built by the government, and Luo Feng’s home was there, a place he had lived for eighteen years.