Enthralled

After Captain Gao Feng's explanation, Wei Tie, Wei Qing, and Chen Gu, though astonished by their captain's extensive connections, nodded in agreement. They understood that the Fire Hammer Squad's strength would rapidly improve, and if they couldn't keep up, they would eventually be left behind. Luo Feng and the others then parted ways at the HR Alliance Mall, taking the train back to their homes. In Yangzhou City, Mingyue Residential District, it was late at night. A dedicated Extreme Martial Arts Dojo vehicle, a Volkswagen Touareg SUV, entered the residential district without hindrance. The Touareg stopped directly at the entrance of the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo. Gathered there were the families of Chen Gu, Zhang Ke, and Luo Feng, along with Dojo Master Wu Tong and others. Luo Feng opened the car door and stepped out, immediately spotting his father, mother, and his brother in a wheelchair. "Brother!" Luo Hua was the first to call out. "Luo Hua, Dad, Mom." Luo Feng embraced his parents and then his brother, feeling the joy of his family. Beside him, Chen Gu and Zhang Ke were also with their loved ones. Zhang Ke's wife and daughter, however, were in tears. Although they had known about Zhang Ke's severed arm, they still cried. "Wife, my dear daughter, I'll be with you always, always." Zhang Ke's face showed no trace of sadness. "Brother Zhang." Luo Feng glanced at him, considering the high possibility that the Tiger Fang Squad's attack on the Fire Hammer Squad was due to his feud with Zhang Zehu. "Our three heroes have returned safely. It's getting late, everyone should get some good rest," Dojo Master Wu Tong said with a smile. Immediately, everyone dispersed with smiles, and Luo Feng and his family returned home. Back home, Luo Feng could finally relax completely. On his first day back, he didn't cultivate, choosing instead to fully unwind. He took a leisurely stroll alone in the residential district, wearing loose training clothes, his steps naturally light and free. It was a complete relaxation of both mind and body. In the afternoon, the September Sun was still scorching. "Luo Feng, come to the dojo," Chen Gu called. "The captain is here." "Oh, I'll be right there." Luo Feng immediately rushed to the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo. In the small bar on the first floor of the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo, the floor-to-ceiling windows were already curtained to block the sunlight. Luo Feng, Chen Gu, and Gao Feng sat together. "Luo Feng, these are the two Series 9 flying knives you wanted," Gao Feng said with a smile, handing them over. "A total of 45 million. You rich guy, hurry up and transfer the money. If you're willing to give a little extra for my trouble, I wouldn't mind at all." "Series 9 flying knives?" Luo Feng immediately took the beautifully packaged box. Opening the box, he found two layers, each holding a flying knife with a black handle and a black blade. Earlier, Chen Gu and the others had asked Gao Feng to help purchase gene potions, and Luo Feng had also asked the captain to help him buy two Series 9 flying knives. For Luo Feng now, a good flying knife was crucial! Whether it was flying knives or other weapons, the price became increasingly exorbitant at higher tiers! Flying knives, being small and requiring less material, were relatively cheaper. Even high-level lord-tier monsters would find it difficult to destroy these Series 9 flying knives. "Captain, 45 million transferred." Luo Feng directly wired the money via his phone. "Not a single extra cent for my trouble," Gao Feng said playfully. "Luo Feng, you're so rich now, why don't you buy a better combat knife? Or a combat suit?" Chen Gu said with a chuckle, his mood excellent after receiving his gene potion. Luo Feng shook his head. "Flying knives are light and use very little material, so I can afford them. A combat knife, a combat suit? A Series 9 Blood Shadow Combat Knife costs 3 billion Huaxia coins. A set of Series 9 combat armor is ridiculously expensive, 12 billion Huaxia coins. How could I afford that?" The weapons used by warrior-tier, warlord-tier, and war-god-tier individuals indeed varied greatly in price. He could only afford flying knives. It was no surprise that a combat suit capable of withstanding even lord-tier monsters was expensive. As for his 'advanced warrior-tier' physique, wearing a Series 8 or 9 combat suit, if a lord-tier monster clawed him, even if the suit wasn't damaged, the impact force would be enough to shatter his internal organs! A beggar wearing an emperor's robe doesn't become a prince. A person with only a warrior-tier physique wearing a war-god-tier combat suit... that would be a waste of the combat suit! "Combat suits are far, far more expensive than flying knives," Gao Feng chuckled. "Luo Feng has a point. His current Series 5 combat suit is sufficient for his physique." "Luo Feng," Gao Feng began. "Hmm?" Luo Feng looked at his captain. "Now, Chen Gu, and the Wei brothers. All three of them will be taking gene potions. It takes about a month for the gene potion's effects to fully manifest! And after their strength increases, they'll need another one or two months of training to adapt to their newfound power. So—we might need to rest for two to three months. After that, we'll re-enter the Wilderness Zone," Gao Feng explained. Chen Gu also nodded. "I understand." Luo Feng smiled and nodded. "I'll also take this opportunity to cultivate diligently. My last trip to the Wilderness Zone yielded significant gains. I'll take this time to thoroughly reflect and refine." "Mm." Gao Feng nodded with a smile. "When we need to meet again, let's do it in the main district of the Base City. Traveling from my place to yours is quite a detour." "Alright." Luo Feng and Chen Gu both agreed. The main district of the Base City was its center. It was convenient to reach from Yangzhou City or any other Guardian City. After seeing off the captain, Luo Feng returned home with his two flying knives. That night, in Luo Feng's training hall, a transparent glass panel, about a meter long and wide, was set in the center of the ceiling. Moonlight streamed through it, and sitting in the training hall, Luo Feng could even gaze through the glass at the infinite stars in the night sky. "Whoosh~~ Whoosh~~" Two black flying knives slowly circled Luo Feng's body. "My sea of consciousness contains that dark golden sphere, and within it, a vast amount of mental power! It's just that my body isn't strong enough to withstand a sufficient amount of mental power," Luo Feng mused. "Right now, what I need to do is to increase my physical fitness as quickly as possible!" "The stronger my body becomes, the stronger my mental power will naturally be! Until one day, the dark golden sphere is completely consumed and dissipates!" With that, Luo Feng began to diligently cultivate according to the Ninefold Thunder Blade manual and its accompanying video tutorials. This included the 'Flowing Light' movement technique, the 'Ninefold Primordial Origin' guidance technique, and the 'Thunder Blade' combat technique. Luo Feng had already mastered the first level of Thunder Blade while in the Wilderness Zone! "Thwack!" "Thwack!" Deep into the night, Luo Feng repeatedly chopped, slashed, and struck in the training hall. Each time he executed a blade technique, Luo Feng used the Ninefold Thunder Blade's force generation method, each strike containing two forces, his muscles instantly unleashing an additional hidden force. Unleashing a hidden force simultaneously with a blade strike placed immense strain on his bones, muscle cells, and more! Exhausting! After an hour and a half of continuous blade practice, Luo Feng was so tired that he sat cross-legged on the ground, unable to move. The Ninefold Thunder Blade's force generation placed an enormous burden on the subtle parts of the body! After resting for five minutes, Luo Feng then practiced the Ninefold Primordial Origin guidance technique. His previously exhausted body felt as if it were soaking in a hot spring, leaving him comfortably soft. After the rigorous training of blade techniques and the guidance technique, finally— Luo Feng began the most fundamental 'Five Hearts Facing Heaven' gene original energy cultivation method, a practice even the world's strongest warriors had to follow. "Hiss~~" As Luo Feng began to cultivate, he felt every cell in his body become ravenous, instantly devouring the newly generated gene original energy. His cultivation speed increased slightly with every passing moment. One minute, two minutes... as time went on, Luo Feng grew even more astonished. Finally, every cell in his body became saturated, as if overfed, unable to consume any more. "Today, I absorbed almost double the gene original energy compared to before!" Luo Feng was utterly stunned. "The manual said that the more profound one's Ninefold Thunder Blade cultivation, the more gene original energy one absorbs. I didn't realize it would be this much!" Luo Feng hadn't expected such an exaggerated increase, though the manual did explain the principle. An ordinary person, no matter how hard they trained until exhaustion, would only accumulate too much lactic acid in their muscles, signifying overall muscle fatigue. Many cells in their body wouldn't even have been significantly involved in the exercise. However, Luo Feng's Ninefold Thunder Blade force generation, which involved instantly unleashing a hidden force, was a deep-level force generation method that engaged the body's cells. It was like how a person's appetite increases with more exercise. When the body's cells expend more energy, their 'appetite' also greatly increases, allowing them to consume more gene original energy! "I'm only at the first level, and my gene original energy absorption has increased so much. How fast will it be at the ninth level? Not only is cultivation faster, but the blade technique's power boost is also astonishing. No wonder it's hailed as the ultimate technique for speed and physique on Earth," Luo Feng exclaimed. What did rapid physical improvement signify? It meant that the mental power he could withstand would also increase rapidly! From that day on, Luo Feng began to train himself to his limits daily. He also discovered the optimal training method: simultaneously practicing the 'Flowing Light' movement technique while swinging his blade! The speed didn't need to be excessive, but every step and blade movement had to be performed with utmost focus and care. When his movement and blade techniques left him utterly exhausted, he would then practice the guidance technique. After practicing the guidance technique, his stamina would recover significantly. He would then resume his movement and blade training, followed by another session of the guidance technique! Finally, he would cultivate gene original energy. This method was the most efficient! One complete cycle took about six hours. This was the fastest way Luo Feng had devised to improve his physical fitness! In truth, mental power users naturally progressed faster physically with the aid of their mental power. Luo Feng, practicing Earth's 'ultimate' cultivation method, the Ninefold Thunder Blade, progressed even more astonishingly. Luo Feng improved almost every single day, and nearly a month passed in the blink of an eye. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" Each of Luo Feng's blade strikes created a sharp whistling sound in the training hall, the strong wind dissipating naturally against the walls. This villa was specially constructed by the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo, so the training hall walls were built with great care. "Hmm? The captain's call?" Luo Feng walked over and answered the phone. "Luo Feng, it's been about a month. Chen Gu, Wei Tie, and Wei Qing's strength has improved considerably after using the gene potions. I think, shouldn't we meet up?" Gao Feng asked over the phone. Currently, Luo Feng was effectively the strongest member of the Fire Hammer Squad, and his position would only become more solidified in the future. So, Gao Feng sought Luo Feng's opinion beforehand. "Sounds good, it's been a while since we all met," Luo Feng said with a smile. This past month, he had become almost obsessed with cultivation, but the process of rapid improvement was indeed exhilarating. "Alright, I think we should go to the HR Alliance Mall. Their service is the best there," Gao Feng said. "What day do you think we should meet?" "Hmm..." Luo Feng suddenly had an idea. He remembered something Xu Xin had said—'I'll be starting university in a few days, but I'll still be working as a manager here on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.' "Captain, I think we should meet this Saturday," Luo Feng suggested. "Saturday? Alright, this Saturday it is."