Chapter 6

Lin Feng and Yang Li walked through the Jiaoyang Battle Plaza.

This was the largest commercial area in Jiaoyang District, the Battle Plaza Trading Center. From small items like jewelry and accessories, crystal watches, and compasses, to large items like gene nutrient chambers, elemental battle suits, and even elemental hearts, everything could be bought here. Of course, the quality was much lower compared to Luocheng, but it was enough for ordinary ancient martial artists and gene warriors.

"Ah Feng... You’re not really going to buy an elemental battle suit, are you?" Yang Li looked at Lin Feng with trepidation.

Turning his head, Lin Feng saw the serious look on Yang Li’s face and couldn’t help but laugh. "Do you have that much money?"

Yang Li shook his head like a rattle drum, his face twisted in a bitter smile. "If I had that much money, I would have bought gene liquid long ago."

"That’s right." Lin Feng smiled.

His good brother sometimes acted rashly. After all, even the cheapest elemental battle suit was more expensive than gene liquid.

Yang Li smiled foolishly. "Then what are you here to buy, Ah Feng?"

A glint of determination flashed in Lin Feng’s eyes as he said, "Ancient martial arts heart method."

"Oh." Yang Li nodded, then suddenly looked at Lin Feng with surprise. "Ah Feng, you’ve switched to being an ancient martial artist? Right, how could I not think of that! Ancient martial artists can also cross the threshold, even if their cultivation speed is a bit slower. Have you already sensed the energy of heaven and earth?"

"Uh-huh." Lin Feng replied casually. The method to sense the energy of heaven and earth was widely known and required no cost.

Whether one could sense the energy of heaven and earth was unrelated to the grade of the ancient martial arts heart method; it depended solely on the talent of the ancient martial artist.

"Amazing, just one month." Yang Li marveled. "Many ancient martial artists spend a year or more just on this step, some even several years."

"Indeed." Lin Feng smiled. Sensing the energy of heaven and earth was indeed a hurdle for ancient martial artists, and only by crossing it could they continue to cultivate. Over 90% of ancient martial artists spent a lot of time on this first bottleneck, so it was not surprising that Yang Li thought this way.

Lin Feng had already mastered the first level of the Nine Dragon True Canon, and could easily perform it. However...

His mother had once warned him not to reveal it unless absolutely necessary.

Since he had chosen the path of an ancient martial artist, he would eventually face battles, so this problem had to be solved. The only way was to cultivate another ancient martial arts heart method, one that he could openly use. It might not unleash his full combat power, but at least he could use it openly.

After all, battles and cultivation could be separated.

...

The bustling crowd, the various shops and buildings, the bars, the amusement centers, and the men and women chatting and laughing, all contributed to the lively atmosphere of the Jiaoyang Battle Plaza. No matter how advanced technology became, consumption and demand would always exist.

Lin Feng scanned the open-air stalls. The items sold here were varied and of uncertain quality, but they had one advantage: they were cheap. Prices were about 20-30% lower than in regular shops, and for the current Lin Feng, every bit saved was valuable.

After all, the family’s money, aside from what his elder brother had left, was only a meager supplement from his mother’s knitting.

Living frugally was manageable, but buying things was a bit tight.

"What’s wrong, Ah Li?" Lin Feng asked, seeing Yang Li looking around.

Yang Li frowned, looking around, and muttered, "I feel like someone is watching me from behind."

A glint of determination flashed in Lin Feng’s eyes, and he smiled calmly. "I don’t feel anything. It’s probably just your imagination. There are many people here, and it’s easy to mistake someone."

"You’re right." Yang Li nodded, then grinned. "You’ve always been meticulous and more alert than me. If someone was really watching us, you would know. When we were kids, the fatso Lei and his gang always tried to trick you, but never succeeded."

"True." Lin Feng nodded, glanced to his right rear, and then smiled. "Let’s go. I remember there’s a stall selling ancient martial arts heart methods ahead."

With that, he and Yang Li moved forward.

Step! Shortly after they left, a young man in black cloth slowly emerged from the dense crowd on the right. His eyes flashed with a fierce light, and a two-meter-long black metal staff was on his back.

Xiao Shiyuan, 17 years old, brain domain width 9.80%, first-class.

New weapon: Electric Strike Staff.

※※※

"Bang!" "Pang!" "Crack!"... The sounds were chaotic.

Shouts, discussions, and cries mingled together, echoing in a corner of the Jiaoyang Battle Plaza.

Lin Feng was selecting an ancient martial arts heart method when he turned to look. His gaze deepened. Five burly men, with arms as thick as thighs, wearing gray tank tops with a clear eagle head emblem, were causing trouble. Two were smashing stalls, while the other three were cursing and kicking an old man and a young boy.

He could faintly hear the old man and the boy pleading for mercy, but the three burly men ignored them, cursing and kicking even harder.

The crowd gathered in layers, discussing, but no one stepped forward to stop them.

What was going on?

Lin Feng stood up, his face filled with anger.

"Don’t." Yang Li grabbed Lin Feng’s wrist and whispered, "Don’t be impulsive."

Lin Feng clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. "Beating an old man, they’re worse than beasts!" Although he was angry, he still restrained his anger and did not lose his composure. There were too many such incidents of bullying the weak, and he couldn’t handle them all. Moreover, he... didn’t have the right to intervene.

"If you don’t pay the protection fee, they won’t hesitate to beat even pregnant women and children." The stall owner sighed. "Not long ago, a pregnant woman was beaten so badly that she miscarried and almost died."

Yang Li frowned. "Don’t the guards do anything?"

"How much can they do?" The stall owner said bitterly. "The Bald Eagle Gang are mostly thugs and loafers. As the saying goes, a strong dragon doesn’t suppress a local snake. The guards can only catch a few troublemakers. Smashing stalls is minor; if you don’t pay the protection fee, they’ll come to your house and smash it up!"

"Lawless." Lin Feng was furious.

"Ah, we’re just commoners." The stall owner shook his head, his voice tinged with sorrow.

Commoners!

Lin Feng’s heart ached.

He knew all too well the status of commoners. Today, even if someone was beaten to death, it would be considered just another case of the strong preying on the weak. This world was that harsh. Gene warriors had privileges, and ancient martial artists had the Ancient Martial Arts Alliance as their backing, but what about commoners?

They had nothing.

In short, they were cheap lives, to be trampled upon at will.

"I will never let my mother and sister live like this!" Lin Feng’s eyes flashed with determination, and he clenched his teeth. Commoners without status or power were like ants, to be trampled upon. For now, his mother and sister were protected by the academy, but after two months...

"Upon graduation, I will join the Jiaoyang District Guard." Lin Feng nodded, making up his mind.

Although his brain domain had regressed, his strength had not diminished, and becoming a Jiaoyang District Guard was not difficult.

The Guard might have to handle many trivial matters, but as long as his mother and sister were safe, what did it matter if he sacrificed some time?

"First, join the Guard, then become an ancient martial artist as soon as possible."

"Advance to the City Guard."

Lin Feng thought to himself.

He already had a clear plan for the future.

Although the martial arts path was good, the Guard and City Guard route was the most practical for now.

...

The incident quickly passed. Before the City Guard arrived, the five burly men from the Bald Eagle Gang had already left. The old man and the young boy, though seriously injured, were not in danger of their lives. After all, the Bald Eagle Gang wasn’t stupid; killing someone would bring them no benefit. They were only after money.

"Beaten half to death, and still have to thank them for showing mercy." Yang Li shook his head, speechless.

"To survive, one must bow down." Lin Feng said solemnly.

"Reality is truly cruel!" Yang Li sighed deeply.

"Some things you don’t want to do, but there’s always an invisible hand forcing you to do them." Lin Feng’s eyes flickered as he spoke. He had not lost his calm or his sense of justice. A year ago, he wouldn’t have been able to endure it, but now he was truly mature.

This year had been very precious for Lin Feng.

"Let’s part ways here, Ah Li." Lin Feng waved the three booklets in his hand and smiled. "Thank you." He had bought a third-rate ancient martial arts heart method, a seventh-rate sword technique, and an eighth-rate qi technique. Yang Li had insisted on paying, and Lin Feng didn’t refuse, letting him do it.

One heart method, two martial techniques.

Although the two martial techniques were of a higher grade, their combined price was lower than the heart method.

Rarity made things valuable, and for ancient martial artists, heart methods were more important than martial techniques.

"170 copper coins, less than 2 silver coins, it’s nothing." Yang Li said boldly. Indeed, the price was less than a fifth of a bottle of gene liquid, but Lin Feng knew it was about half of Yang Li’s savings. He had only wanted to buy the heart method, but Yang Li was stubborn and insisted on adding the two martial techniques. If he hadn’t stopped him, Yang Li would have spent even more.

"Goodbye, my brother!" Yang Li’s eyes were deep, and he pounded his chest with his right hand. "In my heart."

With that, he pressed the button on his left wristwatch, and a light projection formed a solid object. Yang Li leaped onto the black hover car and left. Lin Feng watched Yang Li’s departing back, feeling a warm sensation in his heart. Yang Li might not be good with words, but he was a true friend.

Unlike himself, Yang Li had enough gene liquid to increase his brain domain width to second-class, giving him a good chance to enter one of the three advanced gene academies.

A bright future lay ahead.

So, there were some things he didn’t want Yang Li to get involved in.

Swish! A cold light flashed in Lin Feng’s eyes, and he turned around, speaking calmly. "Come out."

His voice fell, and a black figure slowly emerged from the dark alley behind him, dressed in simple black cloth, his face weathered and determined, with a two-meter-long electric strike staff on his back, its black metal gleaming in the darkness.

Lin Feng turned, and a twenty-centimeter-long cylindrical metal alloy appeared in his right hand.

"Zzz~" As gene energy flowed in, the cylindrical metal alloy burst into brilliant white light, forming a seventy-centimeter-long battle knife.

New weapon: Laser Knife!

Looking at the black-clothed youth, Lin Feng’s eyes were sharp. "I didn’t expect it to be you."

Xiao Shiyuan, who had once been second only to him in the academy, was now the top-ranked genius in terms of brain domain width, almost a step away from entering the Crown Elite Academy. He would soon fuse with an elemental heart and become a true gene warrior.

"Don’t blame me!" Xiao Shiyuan gritted his teeth, a hint of struggle in his eyes. He suddenly roared, drawing the electric strike staff and pressing the button.

Zzz! Electric snakes darted out, and the electric strike staff, carrying 500 volts, lunged at Lin Feng.

...

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