Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 606 - 586: Concealment

While cultivating in the Hall of Dao, Zhou Leng acquired a significant amount of starry True Energy.

A portion of this True Energy entered the singularity of True Energy, becoming akin to Dantian True Qi.

The other part was absorbed by the power of the Star Phoenix Rejuvenation Technique, condensing into Star Phoenix Feathers.

Now, the Star Phoenix Feathers within the body have reached 9022, just over nine hundred short of the ten thousand feather realm.

Strike while the iron is hot.

After reaching ten thousand feathers, the healing ability of the Star Phoenix Rejuvenation Technique will reach a noticeable new level.

Every Star Phoenix Feather in the body is equivalent to a usable divine healing medicine.

No matter how severe the injury, as long as it is not suppressed by divine-level powers, the consumption of Star Phoenix Feathers can be used for healing.

The healing effect far exceeds any pill.

To quickly reach the ten thousand feather realm, there is only one method, to seek out a large number of Ancient Tree Fossils.

Zhou Leng decided to first make a trip to the Demon Spirit World, to purchase a set of legendary Demon Spirit Artifact capable of rapid subterranean exploration from Cyan Flame, for excavating Ancient Tree Fossils in the Tree-man World.

Once cultivated to the ten thousand feather realm, he can officially emerge.

With martial arts restored, Zhou Leng’s mindset is solid.

Running toward Shuizhou Demon City, he reads through the messages on the previous Demonized Watch.

Seeing one familiar name after another, and one warm encouragement after another, Zhou Leng smiles.

Soon, he sees Xue Chengsong’s message.

After reading, Zhou Leng is stunned.

After Xue Chengsong buried his father, he slipped away.

Escaping from the Dragon Country, he fled to Kangaroo Country.

In the message, Xue Chengsong keeps apologizing, saying he couldn’t protect the mining site, and promises compensation to Zhou Leng once he makes a comeback.

Zhou Leng immediately sends him a voice call.

In no time, the call connects.

"Zhou Leng?"

"It’s me."

"How are you doing?"

"I’m fine, how about you?"

Xue Chengsong says, "I’m even better now. My family still has some assets, finding a job here to get by isn’t hard, though there’s a gap, but it’s bearable. How’s your body though? Are you running outside?"

"Though my body no longer has True Qi, I’ve regained strength through means from the Giant and Giant Dragon, and it will only get better."

"Sure enough, you will definitely regain strength in the future, even advance to be a Grandmaster!" Xue Chengsong’s tone is full of encouragement.

But Zhou Leng’s heart wrenches, his old friend has escaped, yet still thinks of encouraging him.

"You’re doing okay over there?"

"Doing okay, though things aren’t always smooth, it’s pretty decent. I just arrived not long ago and already met... bang bang..."

Intense fighting noises come from the other side.

After a while, Xue Chengsong moves to a quiet place and says, "There was just a fight, I asked and found out that two enemies from Dragon Country encountered each other."

"Was it dangerous?"

"Not dangerous, purely coincidental. We have a joke here, besides some immigrants, there are only two types of people: those who fear their money being taken, so they flee with their own money, and those who fear their money being taken, so they flee with others’ money. The two people fighting just now were those who came with their own money, encountering someone who came with his money, enemies meet, and it turned into strong combat."

Zhou Leng ponders for a while to sort out the connection.

"What’s the deal with Gao Tianlong? You didn’t elaborate in the message, please tell me now."

Thus, Xue Chengsong slowly recounts how a poor mine turned rich, how Gao Tianlong seized and murdered to cover it up, how he evaded, how Li Linhan and Zhao Lianshu helped retrieve the corpse, how Zhao Lianshu’s Broken Sword was taken by the Zhao Family in Xiong City, how he fled to Kangaroo Country...

Before advancing to Grandmaster, no matter how composed Zhou Leng was, he would’ve been blazing with anger.

But after advancing to Grandmaster, his mind matured from enduring hardships, quickly suppressing the rage within.

"Stay in Kangaroo Country for a while, and after things are handled cleanly, return. No matter if the mine is worth billions or trillions, whose it is, is whose it is. No one can take away your half."

"Don’t, don’t, Zhou Leng, I know you’re a kind-hearted person deep down and very righteous, but don’t act impulsively. Zhao Lianshu in Rucheng is a well-known figure, once Saint Zhao’s personal guard, even my father isn’t worthy of carrying his shoes, but Gao Tianlong cursed him for not being worthy of the Zhao surname, and he can only swallow his pride."

"Gao Tianlong is not someone we can afford to provoke. Just treat him as Zhao Tong and Zhao He’s brother, would you dare provoke him?"

Zhou Leng calmly says, "Zhao Tong and Zhao He are dead."

Xue Chengsong laughs, "You, even though you seem disciplined on the surface, your words reveal your fearless nature, can you say that? Gao Tianlong himself isn’t much, just the nephew of the Zhao Family Patriarch. But his sister Gao Tianfeng is particularly wild in her connections in the Zhao Family, I’ve heard some rumors..."

Xue Chengsong shares some rumors, then talks about many things.

Finally, he says, "Zhou Leng, you’re not young anymore, you’re going to be a junior in half a year, this Gao Tianlong truly isn’t someone we can provoke. He arrives in Rucheng, and prominent figures line up to seek an audience, even Grandmasters must set appointments, are we comparable? It’s just a mine, my entire Xue Family was swallowed by him, and we dare not say a word? Your mine, just forget it. Really, if you show even a hint of revenge, he can send... oh, I forgot, your status is different now. However, status is status, strength is strength, behind him is the entire Zhao Family, the Zhao Family that pressures a nation."

Zhou Leng remains calm, "What belongs to whom is theirs, this is the greatest justice in the world. No one can take away what is mine, and I won’t hand over what’s mine to anyone."

Xue Chengsong becomes anxious, persuading, "Are you crazy? In Dragon Country, you only have a high reputation and status, but no true power and influence. Without becoming a Grandmaster, they won’t let you at the table, even if you make huge achievements, if you offend them, they’ll still bring you down, it’s not like the past years. Do you think being attacked online was an accident? That’s because from top to bottom, the roots have long been replaced by the Demon Worship Sect, it’s rotten through! Now the surrender faction and opportunists are exerting influence, they won’t allow you to rise, do you know where the Demon Worship Sect headquarters is? You..."

Xue Chengsong fervently persuades.

"Are you suggesting that once I’m a Grandmaster, I can act?"

Xue Chengsong pauses, helplessly says, "Grandmasters can also be killed by them. Forget it, you’re actually smarter than me, you must have your own plans. No matter what, consider who is holding power, who can influence or destroy things, consider those major matters carefully, your just actions are seen as rebellion by them. That day, Zhao Lianshu’s old platoon leader drunkenly uttered a phrase from Saint Zhao, they’re always wary of us."

"I understand."

"Good you understand, I’ll wait for you in Kangaroo Country."

Xue Chengsong’s last words were full of helplessness.

```

Zhou Leng ended the call, not in the mood to browse other messages.

After thinking for a while, he sighed and decided to look anyway.

He quickly came across a message from Zhang Xinglie and initiated a video call.

The other party switched the video call to a voice call.

"How’s your injury?" Zhang Xinglie asked.

"All healed. How about you?" Zhou Leng replied.

"Your injuries were much worse than mine. If you’re healed, I must have been fine long ago."

"I’ve been busy regaining my strength, haven’t contacted you. Let’s get together sometime? I can come to Xiongjing, as I also need to study the martial arts there." Zhou Leng said.

Zhang Xinglie helplessly replied, "I’ve been too busy lately. Just a few days ago, I went to your Shuizhou Celestial Tier Trial. It’s really damn hard."

"It shouldn’t be that difficult for you, right?"

But Zhang Xinglie immediately changed the topic, saying, "I’ve taken a teacher and will be dedicating myself to cultivation for a while, frequently fighting in Demon City, so I might contact you less."

"It’s not a Martial Saint, is it? Congratulations!" Zhou Leng felt happy for Zhang Xinglie.

On the other side, Zhang Xinglie laughed, and the two chatted like usual.

After a while, they ended the call.

Zhou Leng frowned slightly, though he’s not very adept socially, he still noticed that Zhang Xinglie seemed different, as if he was avoiding him, often speaking unnaturally.

After thinking, Zhou Leng sent a text message to Zhang Xinglie.

"I always remember your words, we will definitely meet at the peak."

"Of course! (big laughing face)"

After sending the laughing face, Zhang Xinglie sat quietly on a park bench.

His cane leaned beside him, and his left sleeve and right pant leg hung empty.

His gaze was exceptionally calm.

If it were just ordinary broken limbs, he wouldn’t be affected at all.

He believed that as his martial arts progressed, when he ascended to Martial Saint, he would definitely find magical medicinal fruits to restore his body.

But, the Celestial Calamity Envoy used divine power to cast a curse.

He did not understand why the Celestial Calamity Envoy did this, but he knew he could never recover.

The Celestial Calamity Envoy is a god.

Everyone around him knew that the blow he suffered was greater than Zhou Leng’s.

Because Zhou Leng had always been unknown, but Zhang Xinglie gained fame at a young age, known as a genius in Rucheng, a notable figure at Yunhua Martial Arts Academy.

The expectations he had for himself, and those around him had for him, were limitless, comparable to the world’s top figures.

He firmly believed he could be among the pinnacle of the world.

But, with broken arms and legs.

A large amount of martial arts became unusable, and his power was greatly restricted.

The curse of the Celestial Calamity Envoy weighed like a mountain on his martial arts will.

That was a despair even Zhou Leng hadn’t endured.

So, he gave the Dragon Scale Fruit and White Lake Mother Fruit to Zhou Leng.

He only dared to lick a few drops of the remaining juice.

That battle was too brutal, and he also suffered meridian injuries, though his dantian was intact.

The meridians have not healed yet.

Zhang Xinglie looked at the distant sunset, supported himself with his cane, and slowly walked forward.

He had applied for a break from school and moved to live in Xiong City Suburb.

"There’s still a chance, there’s still a chance..."

He muttered to himself as he walked.

Strands of silver glinted in his hair.

To the teachers and students at Yunhua Martial Arts Academy, Zhang Xinglie and Zhou Leng were the same.

The path of martial arts severed.

On the way, Zhou Leng worried about Zhang Xinglie and Xue Chengsong, uninterested in other messages, heavy-hearted.

Upon arriving at Shuizhou Demon City, wearing a hood and mask, he went to the base mall and purchased a High-Level Demon Brain.

It was worth a full three billion.

The High-Level Demon Brain was equivalent to an ordinary legendary Demon Spirit Artifact, possessing extremely powerful capabilities.

Its appearance was a two-centimeter square thin sheet.

In a secluded place, Zhou Leng removed his hood and attached it to his temple.

The Demon Brain automatically transformed, camouflaging and changing color to match the skin, establishing a mental link...

Soon, he loaded all the contents of the Demonized Watch into the Demon Brain.

A thought, and the Demon Brain projected a glasses-like screen, forming a more powerful Demon Spirit projection.

It could even become externally invisible.

"Navigate, to my mine."