The Secret of the Innate Realm

Lu Feng was still in shock when Fang Qing shouted to the surrounding Chasing Wind Squad members, "Concentrate fire! Aim for the eyes on its heads!"

Tier 4 Exotic Beasts were similar to human Innate Realm Warriors—they had already formed an Innate Qi Sea within their bodies and could mobilize the energy within that sea to protect their entire bodies.

That was why the mecha's thermal beams struggled to break through their defenses, while the eyes were often the common weakness of such creatures.

The next second, every Chasing Wind Squad member opened fire with full force on the four heads of the giant python.

Yet the power of a Leader-level Exotic Beast far exceeded imagination.

Even though Fang Qing was firmly suppressing its tail, it still writhed its massive body wildly, flattening all the vegetation for dozens of meters around.

The violent shaking made it hard for the squad to aim precisely at its eyes.

Just then, Lu Feng seized an opening, locking his gaze tightly with the giant python's.

In the instant their eyes met, this Tier 4 Exotic Beast suddenly stopped struggling.

At the same time, a surging torrent of energy wildly flooded into Lu Feng's body, and a piercing, searing pain struck him instantly.

He gripped the control sticks with both hands, every muscle trembling from the agony, and forced out through clenched teeth: "Now... strike!"

The squad members didn't miss this fleeting opportunity. All their artillery fire shot precisely into the eyes on the giant python's four heads.

Dozens of scorching beams pierced through the targets in an instant, blinding the Multi-headed Python.

Blinded, the Leader-level Exotic Beast went berserk, completely breaking free of Lu Feng's control and lashing out indiscriminately in all directions.

The Chasing Wind Squad was forced to keep retreating, and Fang Qing had clearly reached her limit, unable to keep suppressing the giant python.

During one violent tail whip, her whole person was hurled high into mid-air.

At that crucial moment, a figure shot out from the distant dense forest, leaping dozens of meters into the air and catching her steadily mid-flight.

It was Gao Zhan, the Squad Captain of the Chasing Wind Squad.

"Another one?"

Lu Feng stared in shock at the scene.

He had expected Gao Zhan to arrive for support—after all, the distance was only a kilometer or two—but he hadn't expected the man to also be moving outside his mecha with just his physical body, just like Fang Qing.

"Get back into your mecha, now!"

Gao Zhan landed with Fang Qing in his arms, gave a brief order, and then charged straight at the rampaging giant python.

What stunned Lu Feng even more was that Hong Kun, not far away, had also shed his mecha and was lunging at the giant python with bare hands.

"Uncle Hong!" he couldn't help but exclaim.

Could it be that all Innate Realm Warriors could move freely through this mountain forest, thick with poisonous miasma and alien atmosphere?

In the distance, Gao Zhan shot forward like a cannonball, punching the giant python dozens of meters away with one blow, then closed in and pinned its massive body down.

Hong Kun arrived right after and grabbed the snake's tail.

Under the combined control of the two men, the giant python's struggles visibly weakened.

Gao Zhan quickly pulled an Alloy Short Blade from his chest and stabbed down viciously.

The sharp blade sliced through the tough hide and flesh in an instant. He slashed dozens of times in succession until the giant python was drenched in blood and finally stopped struggling.

Gao Zhan stood up, dark purple blood dripping steadily from the Alloy Short Blade.

By then, the Chasing Wind Squad members had gathered around.

"Captain, are you alright?" someone asked with concern.

Gao Zhan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked to the giant python's corpse and used the short blade to neatly extract the fangs from all four heads.

"The teeth of a Leader-level Exotic Beast, combined with Tianlan Star's alloy technology, can forge weapons tougher than Blue Dai Alloy."

He put away the fangs. "We'll split them evenly by headcount once we're back."

Hearing this, everyone's faces broke into smiles.

Gao Zhan then returned to his own mecha.

At that moment, Lu Feng finally couldn't hold back and asked in the squad channel:

"Captain, why can you Fourth Realm Warriors also move outside the mecha in this alien environment?"

Wasn't that supposed to be something only Grandmaster Experts could do?

Before Gao Zhan could answer, Hong Kun explained proactively: "Fourth Realm Warriors have opened their Innate Qi Sea. They can coat their body surface with True Qi, allowing them to operate in a vacuum or harsh environments for a short time."

Fang Qing added, "That's right, but this state can't last long, and combat effectiveness drops significantly—far from matching a Grandmaster Expert. Just look at me now, and you'll understand."

She was already back inside her mecha, her voice sounding very tired.

"There's one more thing I don't get. Do Exotic Beasts gain intelligence once they reach Tier 4, just like humans?"

He recalled that Leader-level giant python from earlier. It had clearly sensed the Chasing Wind Squad's approach in advance, yet instead of retreating, it had taken the initiative to attack with its Tier 2 and Tier 3 offspring, acting like it was guarding its territory.

"Yes," Gao Zhan confirmed. "Once they break through to Tier 4 and form their Innate Qi Sea, Exotic Beasts awaken their intelligence, which is no less than a human's."

"Just like that Drill Bull Lord we encountered before on the Sudali Plain, along with the dozens of Leader-level Exotic Beasts under its command—they all possess considerable intelligence."

"No wonder the moment those Grandmasters appeared, it sensed danger and chose to flee right away." Lu Feng said in sudden realization.

Unfortunately, that Drill Bull Lord ultimately couldn't escape the combined pursuit of Zhang Zechuan and the other two Grandmasters, and was killed by their joint efforts.

Speaking of realms, Gao Zhan suddenly remembered something and asked:

"Lu Feng, I heard you've already reached Second Realm Perfection at such a young age?"

In everyone's impression, Lu Feng's cultivation had always remained at Iron Bone Realm Perfection.

Back at Skyfire Club, he had once shattered the Tester with a single punch;

Later, when he went to the Military Base for the Training Camp, this story also spread through the Chasing Wind Squad.

But no one knew that after the last battle on the Sudali Plain, he had already broken through the second blocked meridian in his body and successfully stepped into the Meridian Condensing Realm Second Layer.

Lu Feng didn't respond, nor did he reveal his true realm.

Perhaps it was due to his nature—he was naturally not fond of showing off or drawing attention to himself.

The two previous times his realm had been exposed were purely accidental.

The squad walked and chatted as they continued heading due south.

With Lu Feng, a natural Beast Tamer, and his ability to sense the presence of nearby Exotic Beasts, the Chasing Wind Squad practically bulldozed their way through, encountering no major dangers.

Lu Feng quickly recharged the energy in his mark.

Along the way, while controlling his Mecha to move automatically, he also channeled the energy from the mark to continue assaulting his meridians.

But when he struck the third blockage point in his meridians, he found the difficulty had increased significantly.

By the time the energy in his mark was depleted again, that blockage had only loosened slightly.

Lu Feng suddenly sent a private message to Hong Kun through his Communicator: "Uncle Hong!"

Hong Kun was startled and replied, "What's wrong?"

"How does a Three Realm Martial Artist break through quickly?"

Hong Kun chuckled upon hearing this: "The Third Realm for martial artists is the Meridian Condensing Realm. You need to open up the meridians and condense Cosmic Energy for your own use. The biggest obstacle to opening meridians is the Ten Major Acupoints in the human body."

"These acupoints are naturally blocked and need continuous assault with Cosmic Energy. Once all are opened, you reach Meridian Condensing Realm Perfection. After that, you keep condensing energy to form an Innate Qi Sea within your body. Once the Qi Sea is formed, you officially step into the Fourth Realm."

"This is a long process—can't rush it. Besides, aren't you only at Second Realm Perfection? Take it slow."

Lu Feng was enlightened!

So what blocked the meridians were the body's acupoints.

"Then what exactly are the Ten Major Acupoints?"