Volume 3: Global Vanguard & The Advanced Pinnacle
Chapter 280
Departing Kunlun, Preparing for the Eastern Sea Coastal Campaign
The biting cold wind atop the Heavenly Pillar peak shrieked continuously through the millennium-old cedar groves, sweeping delicate wisps of ice dancing through the air like illusory smoke and mist.
The morning sky over Kunlun was crystal clear, resembling a flawless, colossal block of turquoise. Having experienced an earth-shattering night of supernatural anomalies when the source energy of the Ice God Marrow and the archaic bloodline fused, the sanctuary’s inherent solemn tranquility finally returned. Yet, this stillness was no longer mere primordial desolation; rather, it seemed to cower, submissively bowing before a newly awakened, formless might.
On the Ice Soul Terrace overlooking the boundless, surging sea of clouds, Lin Feng stood straight as an arrow. The pitch-black military trench coat of his field uniform fluttered violently behind his back with every gust of mountain wind.
His angular face, bearing the weathered marks of a Shenzhou soldier, appeared even more razor-sharp, as though tempered through a thousand layers of blazing magma and ten thousand years of glacial frost. To the naked eye, he looked no different from a refined young man in his early twenties, possessing a calm and collected demeanor. Yet, any supreme expert with heaven-reaching cultivation would instantly perceive an awe-inspiring, soul-shaking transformation: the six magic whirlwinds in his mental sea were revolving according to an unfathomable, mystical order.
Lightning, Fire, Shadow, Summoning, Space, Chaos.
The six brilliant, boundless Star Seas, akin to miniature galaxies, had simultaneously reached the peak of the Advanced Third Realm! Every single breath Lin Feng took caused the surrounding space to ripple with countless tiny silver waves, while purple-gold lightning and fire lurked beneath his skin like divine dragons lurking within deep abysses.
Omni-Elemental All-Sextet Quasi-Super Realm!
This was an unprecedented achievement in the history of human magic. Although he had not yet completely shattered the door to the true Super Realm, the dense accumulation of magic energy and his perfected Dragon God physical constitution at this moment were more than enough to crush any ordinary early-stage Super-level powerhouse.
Beside him, Ye Qingwan gently stroked a strand of misty hair blown across her cheek by the wind. She wore a field outfit embroidered with sapphire-blue snowflake patterns, accentuating her slender yet resiliently vibrant figure as an outstanding Ice-attribute female mage. After absorbing a portion of the medicinal essence from the Divine Spring and consolidating her foundation, her aura also became crystalline and razor-sharp, resembling a precious sword just pulled from its scabbard. Her clear, jade-like eyes gazed at the young man beside her, filled with deep admiration and absolute trust.
In front of the two figures, two elderly silhouettes stood as tall and unyielding as ancient pine trees amidst the frost and wind.
Elder Chang stood with his hands behind his back, his long white beard fluttering loosely before his chest trembling slightly. His aged eyes, having witnessed a century of worldly vicissitudes, stared fixedly at Lin Feng, containing undisguised astonishment and praise. Standing beside him, Elder Gu rested both hands on an ivory-carved cane bearing the head of a White Tiger biting a gem, tapping it lightly against the frost-covered granite floor.
“Clang——!”
The crisp, resonant tapping echoed across the Heavenly Pillar peak, lingering endlessly.
“Good! Excellent!” Elder Gu let out a hoarse yet booming laugh, his voice shaking the snow clinging to the pine branches down in flurries. “Old man, I’ve lived for nearly two hundred years, witnessing countless darlings of the heavens and sky-defying prodigies from all over Shenzhou flocking to Kunlun in search of their destiny. But to dare swallow both Dragon Blood and Ice Marrow at the bottom of the Divine Spring, forcibly blasting open six major Star Seas to reach such a heaven-defying realm... Lin Feng, you are the very first!”
Elder Chang also nodded slightly, his gaze carrying a moved expression:
“All-Sextet Quasi-Super, perfected Dragon God physique. Little friend Lin, your fortuitous encounter was bestowed by the heavens, but the grit to survive and tame that destructive power came entirely from your own iron will. For a thousand years, the Divine Mountain has never failed those with a bright soul and boundless courage.”
Hearing the sincere praise from the two senior figures who had lived in seclusion to guard the realm for centuries, Lin Feng showed no hint of arrogance. He stepped half a pace forward, cupped his hands together, and bowed deeply before the two elders in strict accordance with ancient Shenzhou etiquette.
“Junior Lin Feng, along with Qingwan, expresses our utmost gratitude for the meticulous nurturing and protection provided by both seniors.” His voice resonated warmly, every word coming from the depths of his heart. “Had it not been for you two seniors suppressing the seals of the Divine Spring and shielding junior when my meridians reversed, Lin Feng would have long been burned to ashes by the berserk flames. This profound kindness, junior shall engrave upon his bones and remember for a lifetime.”
Ye Qingwan also bowed slightly, her voice as clear as a babbling brook:
“Qingwan offers her thanks to the two Elders.”
Elder Chang flicked his sleeve gently, a gentle gale instantly lifting the two figures back to their feet. He looked at Lin Feng, his expression gradually turning solemn:
“No need for formalities. Guarding Kunlun for a millennium, our greatest responsibility is to protect the foundation of Shenzhou and seek out seeds capable of bearing the nation’s future when storms strike. Lin Feng, the path you tread is one no one has ever carved out. Cultivating six magic elements simultaneously, once you truly step into the Super Realm, the lightning tribulations and rule order descending upon you will be ten times more terrifying than for others. Remember this: the greater the power, the heavier the burden upon your shoulders. Do not let ambition obscure your original intention to protect the rivers and mountains.”
“Junior will firmly engrave the Elder’s teachings!” Lin Feng raised his head, his gaze resolute as bedrock.
“Very well, the universe is vast, and the storms outside are lying in wait. The two of you, descend the mountain.” Elder Gu waved his sleeve, turning to look at the boundless sea of clouds on the horizon. “Kunlun Divine Mountain shall forever be the rear guard for the most resilient children of Shenzhou.”
“Junior takes their leave!”
Lin Feng and Ye Qingwan bowed once more. Then, they turned and strode decisively toward the snowy valley leading out of Kunlun’s Heavenly Gate.
Their footsteps treading on the thick snow emitted a steady, crunchy sound. Every step Lin Feng took was brimming with confidence and abundant inner strength. The cold wind lashing against his face now felt merely like a refreshing autumn breeze, no longer carrying the slightest biting chill to a body that had fused with Dragon Blood.
Passing the winding path hugging the precipitous cliff, a colossal five-colored light screen cascading from the nine heavens appeared before them, separating Kunlun Divine Mountain from the outside world.
That was the Heavenly Pillar barrier — the most ancient and impenetrable defensive layer of Shenzhou, sealing off all magic energy waves and electromagnetic interference of modern civilization.
Lin Feng reached out and touched the light screen gently. The Archaic Dragon Pendant on his chest flashed with a golden streak, instantly causing the five-colored light screen to part an opening just wide enough for the two of them to pass through.
“Let’s go, Qingwan.” Lin Feng turned and said softly.
“Yes.” Ye Qingwan smiled and nodded.
The two lifted their feet simultaneously, stepping across the boundary of the Heavenly Pillar barrier.
Yet, the moment their feet touched the land outside the barrier, the smile on Ye Qingwan’s lips instantly vanished, and Lin Feng’s figure abruptly froze like a bronze statue!
“Beep... Beep... BEEP——!”
“BEEP BEEP BEEP! SSS-GRADE RED ALERT! FULL-SCALE WARFARE DETECTED!”
A piercingly shrill, grating mechanical alarm suddenly blared from the grayish-black metal ring worn on Lin Feng’s left wrist!
That was the strategic combat communication terminal of the Shenzhou Ministry of Defense, encrypted with the highest security clearance and connected directly to the Quantum magic orbital satellites. Throughout months of rigorous training in Kunlun, isolated by the Heavenly Pillar barrier, this device had remained completely dormant. But the exact moment electromagnetic waves and the national magic network reconnected, the wristband went wild, vibrating violently to the point of emitting squeaking metallic friction!
A blood-red holographic halo surged into the air, staining the pristine white snow beneath their feet.
Hundreds of emergency notification streams, individual triangular symbols warning of existential extinction, danced frantically across the interface:
[URGENT CLASSIFIED DISPATCH: SHENZHOU MILITARY GENERAL STAFF HEADQUARTERS.]
[IDENTIFICATION CODE: MAJOR GENERAL LIN Feng - SSS SECURITY CLASSIFICATION.]
[STATUS: ENTIRE EASTERN COASTAL DEFENSIVE LINE SUBJECTED TO CENTURY-SCALE SURPRISE ATTACK!]
[DAMAGE LEVEL: HIGHEST RED ALERT!]
Lin Feng’s heart tightened. An nameless chill ran down his spine, completely dispelling the euphoric lingering sensation from his recent breakthrough.
“Brother Feng... what is this?!” Ye Qingwan’s expression shifted drastically, her hand instinctively gripping the hilt of the ice sword at her waist, her voice trembling before the terrifying red glow of the interface screen.
Lin Feng did not answer immediately. He raised his hand and pressed hard on the biometric confirmation button on his wrist:
“Activate command communication!”
“Authorization confirmed: Major General Lin Feng! Establishing Level 1 secure communication channel to Strategic General Headquarters...” The synthetic voice rang out urgently.
“Whoosh!”
The holographic space instantly magnified, reproducing a scene of staggering, chaotic horror.
Before Lin Feng appeared a colossal underground combat room. Revolving red lights flashed, hundreds of military personnel wearing headsets shouted loudly into microphones, mechanical keyboards clattered furiously like battle drums, and shrill alarm sirens shrieked through every corner. On the hundred-meter-wide central screen wall, the map of Shenzhou’s eastern coastline was glowing a deep, solid crimson — the color of destruction!
A tall, middle-aged figure wearing the formal uniform of a Shenzhou General, his coat torn at the shoulder, his face blackened by smoke and eyes bloodshot with crimson veins, abruptly whipped around when Lin Feng’s signal channel lit up.
General Xiao Zhen!
The supreme commander of the Eastern Army Corps, known as the Iron Wall of Shenzhou, lacked his usual calm at this moment. His chest heaved violently, breathing heavily as if having just survived a bloody, life-or-death battle.
“Lin Feng! You brat finally decided to show your face!” Xiao Zhen roared through the communication system, his voice hoarse yet shattering eardrums like thunderclaps. “If you had delayed another half a day, this Shenzhou coastline would have turned into the ocean floor!”
Lin Feng stood straight, saluting formally according to military protocol, his voice calm yet sharp as a razor blade:
“Reporting to the General! Major General Lin Feng has completed his mission at Kunlun, awaiting orders! What on earth has happened to the eastern coastline?!”
Xiao Zhen gnashed his teeth, his massive hand slamming heavily onto the metal control desk:
“Sea Demons! A century-scale invasion of marine monsters from the deep trenches of the Pacific Ocean has broken out! All forecasts from the magic meteorology institute and long-range reconnaissance were completely wrong! Those beasts did not attack locally; they launched a simultaneous all-out assault along a coastline stretching over three thousand kilometers!”
Xiao Zhen spoke while waving his hand, transferring frontline battlefield data directly down to Lin Feng’s interface.
The moment those battlefield images appeared, even someone with a steady temperament like Lin Feng had to clench his fists, veins throbbing violently on his forehead!
It was a stark and suffocatingly cruel apocalyptic picture!
The sky above the East China Sea completely turned into pitch-black night, not because of darkness, but due to tens of thousands of meters thick thundercloud layers blocking out the sunlight. Storms of level sixteen and seventeen roared frantically, blowing away colossal lighthouses.
From hundreds of nautical miles offshore, pitch-black walls of water reaching fifty to sixty meters high — magical tsunamis — rolled overwhelmingly toward the shore at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour.
The sturdy breakwaters reinforced with magic alloy and thick volcanic rock spanning dozens of meters at Ningbo, Shanghai, Zhoushan port cities... under the crazed impact of those pitch-black tsunami columns, were shattering into massive chunks like wafer walls!
And most terrifyingly, lurking within those destructive tsunami columns were millions and tens of millions of grotesque deep-sea creatures!
Swarms of Deep-Sea Yakshas with razor-sharp fangs and pitch-black steel scales climbed onto the breakwaters. Demon Violent Giant Whales hundreds of meters long lashed their tails to smash forward radar outposts. The sky was choked with fleets of Corpse-Demon Sea Birds with wingspans of dozens of meters, diving down like poisonous arrows to tear apart magical anti-aircraft defense positions!
“Our military... what are the casualties?” Lin Feng asked in a deep voice, every word carrying bone-chilling coldness.
Xiao Zhen’s holographic image trembled violently:
“Coastal Defense Army Corps No. 3 and No. 7 were shattered right in the first tsunami wave! Over forty thousand border defense soldiers have forever remained at the bottom of the sea! Currently, the outermost breakwater defense line has suffered a seventy percent collapse. All coastal cities from Zhejiang to Shandong have sounded national-level alarms, and the evacuation of over two hundred million civilians deep inland is plunging into chaos!”
Xiao Zhen took a deep breath, his voice choking with pain:
“But that’s not the worst part! Magic scouts just discovered, commanding the Sea Demon army this time are not just ordinary Monarch-tier beasts. At the Zhoushan trench, a Supreme Monarch-tier ancient beast — the Eight-Sovereign Demon Octopus — has awakened! Its eight tentacles are a thousand meters long, and every single wave of them wipes out a Super-level magic stronghold! It is dragging a pack of Totem Behemoths straight toward the gateway of Magic City! If Magic City falls, the entire fertile eastern plain of Shenzhou will be submerged by seawater, and the nation’s economic and human foundation will completely collapse!”
Hearing the four words “Eight-Sovereign Demon Octopus”, Ye Qingwan’s pupils constricted, her face turning pale:
“Supreme Monarch... That deep-sea legendary monster from thousands of years ago that submerged three major islands?!”
“That’s it!” Xiao Zhen gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing as he stared directly at Lin Feng through the signal waves. “Right now, Shenzhou’s Forbidden Curse powerhouses are forced to guard the northern and southwestern borders to prevent neighboring empires and Land Demon Beasts from fishing in troubled waters. The Super-level forces along the coastline are scattered across thousands of kilometers, headless snakes with chaotic command!”
Xiao Zhen stood at attention abruptly, raising his hand to his temple in a supreme Shenzhou salute.
This action by a three-star General instantly silenced every officer in the underground combat room, all eyes locking onto the screen where the young man stood amidst the white snow of Kunlun.
“Major General Lin Feng! Hear my order!”
Lin Feng immediately stood at attention, his back straight as a spear thrust into the earth and sky of Kunlun:
“Subordinate is here!”
“On behalf of the Supreme Military Council and the Ministry of Defense of Shenzhou, I, General Xiao Zhen, formally issue the order: Appointing Major General Lin Feng to the position of Supreme Commander of the Eastern Sea Coastal Frontline! Granting full authority to mobilize Coastal Army Corps No. 1 and No. 2, all magic forces from the major universities in the Jiangnan region, and the S-grade Hunter Alliance on the coastal battlefield!”
The moment the order was issued, even the staff officers in the underground command post were shaken.
Granting full command of a life-or-death battlefield involving hundreds of thousands of mages to a young man barely in his early twenties? This was an unprecedented precedent in Shenzhou military history!
Yet, no one dared voice opposition. Because every single one of them knew what the name Lin Feng represented! He was the undefeated myth of the younger generation, the sharpest vanguard who had slain countless Commanders and Monarchs, the brightest hope of this nation in its darkest hour!
Xiao Zhen looked at Lin Feng, his gaze holding the sacred entrustment of a senior to the heir of the realm:
“Lin Feng, I am not giving you reinforcements from the rear, because the rear is currently scraping together every single soldier. I am giving you supreme authority and the lives of hundreds of millions of coastal compatriots! Do you dare accept this heavy responsibility?”
Faced with a question weighing heavier than a thousand pounds, Lin Feng’s face did not show a shred of hesitation.
On the contrary, deep within his eyes, a purple-gold rage fire burned intensely! The Dragon God bloodline in his meridians surged violently, and the roars of the Archaic Dragon Flame and the lightning within the Star Sea echoed as if trying to tear apart his chest.
He was a soldier. He grew up on this Shenzhou soil. There resided his family, his friends, his compatriots, and innocent citizens crying out in despair beneath the fangs and claws of deep-sea monsters!
What was the purpose of cultivation? What was the purpose of reaching the All-Sextet Quasi-Super Realm?
It was not to sit atop a snowy peak watching clouds drift in self-satisfaction, but when the realm was in peril, to swing the sword in his hand and hack off the heads of rebels, protecting the rivers, mountains, and brocade land!
“Clang!”
Lin Feng raised his right hand to his chest, striking a crisp, resounding blow against the Shenzhou Military Major General insignia, his ironclad voice echoing across the nine heavens:
“Subordinate Lin Feng, accepts the military order! Let the General and all compatriots rest assured! As long as this Lin Feng still breathes, not half an inch of the Eastern Sea territory shall fall into the hands of those deep-sea beasts! If Magic City falls, Lin Feng offers his head in atonement before the citizens!”
“Good! Excellent! Truly worthy of being Shenzhou’s tiger general!” Xiao Zhen threw his head back and laughed loudly, his eyes reddening with emotion. “The supersonic magic transport plane is waiting at the Xining military base at the foot of Kunlun Mountain. Depart immediately! Shenzhou counts on you!”
“Understood!”
“Beep!”
The holographic communication screen closed. The atmosphere atop Mount Kunlun returned to the howling wind and snow.
Yet, at this moment, the atmosphere had completely changed. The heavy pressure of war and soaring responsibility enveloped the two.
Ye Qingwan stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Lin Feng. Her delicate face no longer held any trace of fear, only ironclad resolve:
“Brother Feng, a supersonic transport plane flying from Xining to Eastern Sea still takes over two hours. That time is too long; the Zhoushan and Magic City defense lines probably won’t hold out!”
Lin Feng turned his head to look at her, the corners of his lips curving slightly into an arrogant smile, unleashing the peerless dominance of a young god of war without concealment:
“Who told you we need to take a transport plane?”
Ye Qingwan was stunned: “You mean...”
“RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE——!”
Before she could finish her sentence, the entire sky around the Kunlun peak suddenly erupted with wild thunder claps!
Lin Feng took a single step forward. Beneath his feet, the void instantly fractured into tens of thousands of glittering silver slits!
The long-suppressed aura of the Omni-Elemental All-Sextet Quasi-Super Realm was finally released completely!
“Roar ooo——!”
A berserk dragon roar burst from Lin Feng’s chest, shaking heaven and earth. Behind his back, a pair of colossal wings spanning hundreds of meters suddenly condensed from the void!
That was not an ordinary magic wing artifact, but an earth-shattering combination of Space Wings and Lightning Divine Flame! The left wing billowed with dark purple lightning tearing the sky apart, carrying the ultimate destructive power of the Third Realm Lightning element; the right wing burned with scorching Archaic Dragon Flame rimmed with dazzling golden light, scorching the surrounding air into distorted heatwaves!
The two wings beat forcefully, a magical gale whipping up thousands of tons of white snow on the mountain slope straight into the high sky!
On the distant high terrace, the two Guardian Elders of the Divine Mountain who had been observing were startled and looked back.
Elder Gu gripped his White Tiger cane tightly, his beard trembling, his eyes filled with extreme astonishment:
“Unlocking the Power of Space combined with Lightning-Fire rules to form divine wings... This brat is truly crazy! His speed right now is probably faster than the flying swords of Forbidden Curse masters!”
Elder Chang let out a deep sigh, his gaze turning toward the distant eastern horizon, murmuring:
“The eagle has grown its feathers, the divine dragon has crossed the nine heavens. With this young man garrisoning the Eastern Sea, the heavens and earth of Shenzhou shall not fall!”
Amidst the white snow mid-air, Lin Feng reached out and pulled Ye Qingwan into his embrace. A transparent spatial protective barrier combined with the warm heat of the Dragon Flame instantly enveloped her body, blocking all atmospheric pressure.
“Qingwan, hold tight!”
Lin Feng spoke in a stern voice. In his eyes, the distant eastern thousand miles seemed to already appear before him.
“Eight-Sovereign Demon Octopus... Sea Demon army... You deep-sea beasts dare covet Shenzhou’s territory, today this Lin Feng shall use your blood as a sacrifice for the ascension of my Six-Element magic!”
“BREAK THE VOID!”
Lin Feng roared a heaven-shaking cry.
“SWISH——!”
An eardrum-splitting sound rang out as the void before the two was torn apart by the lightning-fire wings into a pitch-black dimensional tunnel!
The two figures merged into one, transforming into a brilliant purple-gold rainbow tearing the sky apart, shooting toward the east at a speed far exceeding the sound barrier, leaving behind a blazing trail of fire slashing horizontally across the majestic Kunlun mountain range!
At the same time, thousands of kilometers to the east.
The coast of Zhoushan Island — the most crucial defense outpost guarding the gateway to Hangzhou Bay and Magic City.
“BOOM... BOOM... CRASH!”
A foul storm poured down like a torrent, mingling with pitch-black seawater carrying the pungent, nauseating stench of corpses and monster venom.
The fifty-meter-high defensive city wall cast from solid granite was now pockmarked with dozens of massive cracks. Tens of thousands of Venomous Armored Crabs and Sea Demon Yakshas frantically clung to the cliff climbing up like disturbed ants, their metal claws scraping against the rock making horrifying screeching noises.
“Fire! All Fire and Lightning-attribute mages, blanket fire! Absolutely do not let them cross the breakwater!”
A military commander wearing tattered armor, his face covered in blood, roared hoarsely atop the watchtower. Beneath his feet, hundreds of intermediate and advanced mages were exhausting their final drops of magic energy, hurling fireball and lightning bolts down onto the coastline, exploding into foul-smelling chunks of flesh.
Yet, the number of Sea Demons was overwhelmingly immense! Killing a thousand, another ten thousand surged up from the deep sea following each tsunami wave!
“CRASH——!”
Suddenly, the offshore sea surface one nautical mile away exploded into a pitch-black column of water hundreds of meters high!
From the depths of the abyss, a colossal dark shadow resembling a floating island slowly surfaced. It was a grayish octopus head covered in grotesque venomous tumors, its huge murky yellow eyes like two skyscraper buildings flashing with brutal bloodlust.
“Woo ooo——!”
A deep roar issued from the monster’s mouth, creating a shockwave sweeping across the sea surface, hurling dozens of armored patrol warships into the air before crushing them into scrap metal!
Eight colossal tentacles, each as thick as a ten-story tower, writhing and covered in sharp-toothed suction cups, slowly rose high above the water surface, completely blocking out the meager remaining light of the Zhoushan coastline!
Supreme Monarch — Eight-Sovereign Demon Octopus!
“It’s over... It’s all over...” A young soldier relaxed his hands, his magic staff dropping to the ground with a clack, his eyes filled with despair as he watched a giant tentacle strike straight down from the sky toward his watchtower!
The tentacle tore through the storm, bearing the wind pressure of a thousand pounds, darkness engulfing the entire outpost!
At that very moment of extreme peril!
“SWISH——!”
The pitch-black cloud layer in the nine heavens suddenly split open into a colossal fissure!
A dazzling purple-gold beam of light, brilliant and scorching millions of times brighter than the sun, carrying the world-destroying might of ten thousand lightning bolts and archaic divine fire, tore through the void from the storm and descended straight upon the mortal world!
A cold roar like a divine verdict echoed across the skies of the Eastern Sea:
“Deep-sea beasts... Who gave you permission to run amok on Shenzhou soil?!”