Devouring the Starry Sky: Cultivation Makes Me Stronger

Afternoon, February 2.

The addition of a newcomer brought the members of the Fire Hammer Squad together at the HR Alliance Mall.

Since Luo Shen, Luo Feng, and Chen Gu all lived in Moonlight Residential Area in Yangzhou City, while Gao Feng and the Wei Family Brothers lived in the martial artists' residential area in the main urban district, Gao Feng's group arrived at the HR Alliance Mall while Luo Shen's group was still on the way.

"Captain, we worked hard to all reach Warlord Level. Suddenly stuffing a newcomer into the squad is just going to slow us down, isn't it?" The one speaking was Wei Qing.

Wei Tie, beside him, remained expressionless. Clearly, he agreed with Wei Qing.

Gao Feng picked up the cocktail on the table, took a sip, then set it back down.

He glanced at the two of them and soothed them, "Stop complaining so much. I spoke with Luo Feng on the phone. He's Luo Feng's junior brother, and his talent isn't bad. Besides, Supervisor Zhuge personally called and asked us to look after him. In another couple of months, he'll be heading to the global headquarters for special training."

Wei Qing was still somewhat displeased. "So we're just accompanying the crown prince while he studies?"

He did not mean any harm by it.

It was just that, in order to coordinate with Luo Feng, they had all spent a great deal of money on Gene Potions to improve their strength. They had been hoping to accomplish something, yet before they had even begun, a newcomer had been shoved into the squad.

A newcomer also needed time to integrate with the team.

By the time they had developed proper teamwork, Luo Feng might already have found better opportunities elsewhere.

Gao Feng sighed and shook his head. Wasn't that exactly the case? Wei Qing and the others had bought their Gene Potions through his connections. He was the one who most wanted the Fire Hammer Squad to develop further.

"Let's wait until we meet him before saying anything."

At the very least, they had not met him yet. They had to find out what he was capable of first.

"Captain, Brother Qing, Brother Tie!"

Wei Qing was about to say something else when a familiar, hearty voice suddenly sounded behind him. Turning around, he saw Luo Feng pushing open the door with Luo Shen and Chen Gu beside him, greeting the three of them with a broad smile.

"Luo Feng." Wei Qing rose to his feet, a smile appearing on his face.

Gao Feng and Wei Tie, who had remained silent until then, also stood to greet him. When Luo Feng came closer, they gave his shoulder a firm punch and laughed. "You crazy bastard, you've really stirred up quite a storm lately."

They all knew that Luo Feng had gone into the Wilderness Area to practice his blade skills, but they had not expected him to cause such a huge commotion in such a short time.

Fortunately, they knew Luo Feng well enough to understand how formidable a Mind Controller was when hunting monsters.

So they did not dwell on the matter.

Luo Feng then naturally brought Luo Shen forward and introduced him to the three teammates who had yet to meet him.

An introduction was just an introduction.

But Luo Shen could clearly feel that these three teammates were nowhere near as warm toward him as they were toward Luo Feng.

Of course, that was normal.

After all, adding a newcomer to the squad was not something that could be settled with a few words.

However, Luo Shen was in no hurry to explain himself.

Nothing was more convincing than a demonstration in actual combat.

Luo Feng, standing beside him, naturally noticed the unusual attitude of his teammates and understood it perfectly. After all, he had gone through the same thing back then. Only after passing their tests had he gradually integrated into the squad.

He thought the same way Luo Shen did.

Once they entered the Wilderness Area and witnessed Luo Shen's abilities, they would naturally change their minds.

For martial artists, strength was what truly spoke!

After lunch, they had the waiter clear away the dishes and ordered some tea.

Captain Gao Feng was the first to speak. "Old Chen and the Wei brothers should have more or less mastered their own strength by now. In my opinion, we should make another trip into the Wilderness Area before the New Year."

"Does anyone have any objections?" Gao Feng looked at the group.

His gaze was mainly on Luo Feng.

After all, Luo Feng was now the strongest member of the Fire Hammer Squad. They had to take Luo Feng's attitude into consideration.

Luo Feng turned to look at Luo Shen beside him. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Let's leave the day after tomorrow. Luo Shen's weapons and equipment haven't arrived yet, but they should be here tomorrow."

At that, everyone in the Fire Hammer Squad looked at Luo Shen, who had not said much.

"I have no objections. Captain, Senior Brother, you can decide," Luo Shen said with a smile when he saw everyone looking at him.

Luo Feng nodded.

He then looked at Gao Feng and the others. "Captain, where are we going this time?"

Gao Feng glanced at Luo Shen with some hesitation.

If Luo Shen had not been here, he would probably have considered heading to one of the major urban districts. After all, everyone in the squad had improved noticeably, and even the weakest among them possessed Warlord Level strength. Naturally, they could no longer keep going to those small county towns.

If they wanted to make money, they had to go to the major urban districts.

The number of monsters in major urban districts was far greater, making it easier to come across valuable prey. A single special Beast General Level monster could be worth several ordinary ones combined!

But now that Luo Shen had joined them, he had to take Luo Shen into account.

There were plenty of cases where one bad apple spoiled the whole bunch.

Noticing Gao Feng's gaze, Luo Feng smiled. "Captain, don't be fooled just because A-Shen only recently became a martial artist. He's no weakling. Even if we run into a Beast General Level monster, he can hold his own against it."

"Oh?" Hearing Luo Feng's words, Gao Feng and the others' expressions changed slightly.

It was not that they doubted Luo Feng.

It was simply that Luo Shen was a newcomer who had only just become an official martial artist. Even if he had some strength, how strong could he possibly be?

Since Luo Feng had praised him so highly, Luo Shen could no longer keep hiding in the back. He simply made his stance clear. "Since our squad is so strong, why don't we head straight for City No. 003 this time?"

They had originally planned to go to City No. 003 anyway, so Luo Shen simply put the plan into action.

Hearing Luo Shen's words, even Luo Feng was startled.

City No. 003 was Shanghai, the former economic center of China. Because it bordered the sea and was connected by the Huangpu River, a large number of sea monsters entered along the riverway. Combined with the densest cluster of buildings in all of Asia, the place had become a paradise for monsters.

Forget Lord Level monsters—even monsters beyond the Lord Level could be found there!

"Scared?" Luo Shen grinned when he saw everyone's stunned expressions.

Captain Gao Feng gave Luo Shen a long, searching look.

Whether the other party truly had what it took or was merely putting on a brave front, the moment City No. 003 came out of Luo Shen's mouth, they had to revise their opinion of this "outrageously bold" newcomer.

Of course, whether that revised opinion would be admiration or contempt depended on Luo Shen's subsequent performance.

"What do you think, Luo Feng?" Gao Feng looked at Luo Feng.

He decided to leave the decision to Luo Feng. After all, Luo Feng was the team's strongest combatant and Luo Shen's senior brother. He knew Luo Shen's strength best and would surely make the optimal judgment.

"That works." Luo Feng considered it for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.

However, he glanced at the others. "A-Shen is still a newcomer. Though he has some strength, he lacks experience. We should still start from the outskirts and work our way in slowly."

Seeing Luo Feng actually agree, Gao Feng found it somewhat hard to believe.

But he did not show it, merely smiling. "Alright, then our target this time will be the outskirts of City No. 003. We'll advance gradually. After all, City No. 003 is where the true elite among martial artists tend to gather."

In the end, the group agreed to assemble and depart early the morning after tomorrow.

Their target: City No. 003!

Three chapters tomorrow to make up for it.

The next morning.

In the training hall on the second floor of Luo Shen's villa, sharp howls of rushing wind rang out continuously.

Swoosh! Luo Shen stood rooted in place, the Ghost Shadow Battle Blade in his hand carving fierce arcs and flashing with icy cold light. Streaks of silver blade light glittered through the air.

This was the twenty-seven blade techniques of the second level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade.

Although the first level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade had been easy to master due to his powerful bodily force, the second level was somewhat more difficult. Once the second level was mastered, the combined force of three layers of power could reach 2.1 times his physical strength.

Ever since returning from the HR Alliance, Luo Shen had been painstakingly studying this second-level blade technique.

But unfortunately, he always seemed to be missing that final feeling.

Huff! Luo Shen stopped moving and casually wiped away his sweat.

Today was the day they were assembling, so he needed to leave himself time to prepare. He could not spend it all on this.

"Thankfully, after mastering the first level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade and gaining the boost from the Nine Heavens Origin guidance technique, my cultivation speed has improved quite a bit." Luo Shen smiled as he looked at his right hand.

Although only a week had passed since his last test of his raw physical strength, Luo Shen could clearly feel that his punching power had improved considerably. He estimated that it had already surpassed 4,000 KG.

In other words, his physical fitness had now completely entered the ranks of an Advanced Warrior.

And with his twofold bodily force—

Even if he faced a Beginner Beast General head-on, he would not be at a disadvantage.

Of course, when fighting monsters, one could not rely entirely on overwhelming physical strength. Movement technique, blade technique, and the like were all decisive factors in determining victory or defeat—and those happened to be Luo Shen's strengths.

"It's just a pity that my blade technique is still a little short of reaching the Proficient Level."