Two and a half hours later.
The heart-fluttering sounds in the room had long since faded, leaving only a lazy, satisfied quiet and the sweet, lingering warmth in the air.
Xu Feng lay on his side on the wide bed, with Mai Xiao Wen curled up in his arms, fast asleep.
Un-dried tears still clung to her long lashes. The blush on her cheeks had yet to fully fade, and her breathing was slow and even. There seemed to be a trace of contentedness at the corners of her lips.
Yet a hint of pitiful vulnerability still lingered between her brows.
A faint blush was visible on the bedding.
Gently, Xu Feng pulled the soft silk quilt over her and tucked it around her, making sure not a breath of cold air could reach her.
When he was done, he leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her smooth forehead.
Her distinctive, faint fragrance still lingered at the tip of his nose, mingling with the traces left by their passionate encounter.
But after that brief moment of tenderness...
The sharpness and urgency deep in Xu Feng's eyes quietly returned.
He rose without disturbing Mai Xiao Wen, who was still asleep, and went to the wardrobe to change into a clean set of dark casual clothes.
Then he took the deep-blue Invisibility Orb from his inner pocket.
In the dim light, the orb shone with an even richer blue glow.
Xu Feng gazed at it for a moment, his expression gradually growing resolute.
At a thought, light swirled through the orb, and an invisible wave instantly enveloped his entire body.
Beneath the hazy glow of the night-light...
His figure was like a pencil drawing being erased, turning transparent and indistinct from the feet up until it vanished completely into thin air.
The room was left in silence, with only the beautiful woman sleeping peacefully on the bed.
Under the ink-black night sky, Xu Feng's figure reappeared on an empty street outside the villa district, like a melted wax statue taking shape again.
He stopped and focused his mind on the Attribute Panel, visible only to him:
[Name: Xu Feng] [Breakthrough Points: 0] [Qi Realm: Mid Blood Sea Realm (0/70,000)] [Body Realm: Mid Golden Body Realm (0/70,000)] [Strength Evaluation: Mid A-class (Normal State)]
The lines of data were clearly reflected deep in his consciousness.
Ever since arriving in S City, he had made use of the Invisibility Orb to become something of a Cleaner in the city's underground-dungeon raiding scene, targeting C- and B-class dungeons.
Often, a raiding party would barely have entered and not yet encountered an enemy when the monsters ahead mysteriously died in droves, and all sorts of valuable core materials disappeared without a trace.
At first, some teams were suspicious. But as the name "Wind Hidden One" spread, and Xu Feng deliberately left behind some less valuable materials, people gradually accepted this "windfall" arrangement.
After all, why not take advantage of an easy way to meet their quotas and even get extra rewards without risking their lives?
His Breakthrough Points had steadily accumulated as a result.
Just last night, the qi and blood in his dantian had undergone another dramatic transformation, while his physique had also been tempered by his Breakthrough Points and changed.
Both his Qi Realm and Body Realm had broken through, reaching a new level.
"Mid A-class in my normal state..."
Xu Feng felt the qi and blood coursing through him, several times denser and more powerful than before. Beneath his skin, his bones and sinews seemed to carry a faint golden sheen.
"Maybe... I can try an A-class dungeon."
Once the thought took hold, it spread like wildfire.
He had held off before for two reasons. First, he hadn't been completely confident, especially with the possibility of facing a leader at the peak of A-class or even pseudo-S-class.
Second, A-class dungeons were usually monopolized by large guilds with S-Class Hunters among their ranks, like the White Tiger Guild.
More importantly, the stronger he became, the more clearly Xu Feng noticed the Invisibility Orb's limitations.
Against A-class opponents or stronger—especially Hunters specialized in perception or monsters with A-class magic levels—the orb's concealment effect weakened considerably. They could easily sense something unusual.
They might not be able to pinpoint Xu Feng's exact location.
But they could still sense that someone was hiding nearby.
Back in B-class dungeons, the raiding parties had chosen to turn a blind eye.
Rather than being unable to detect him, it was more that they didn't want to provoke the mysterious and powerful "Wind Hidden One."
Besides, the benefits he brought were real.
But things were different now.
His mid A-class strength in his normal state, combined with the burst of power from his Blood Dragon State, gave Xu Feng the confidence to face A-class threats head-on.
He also wanted this chance to witness the true strength of the world's top fighters for himself.
The real level of an S-Class Hunter.
In particular, Bai Luhao, the White Tiger Guild's mid S-class Hunter, renowned for his brutality and strength.
According to the information Xu Feng had gathered, Bai Luhao was a rare "complete transformation" Hunter.
Even in his normal state, his physical abilities were no weaker than those of a low S-class physical-type Hunter. Once he entered combat, he could transform into a terrifying half-man, half-tiger form.
His strength, speed, and defense would all increase dramatically.
The price was that he became extremely savage and bloodthirsty, returning to normal only after completely destroying his target or exhausting himself.
An A-class dungeon led by him meant both efficiency and danger.
Xu Feng's original plan had been more cautious: he would wait until his normal-state strength reached high A-class—or even neared the threshold of S-class—before challenging an A-class dungeon.
But an unexpected piece of news had thrown all his plans into disarray.
That afternoon, through special channels connected to the Wanbao Auction House and the Hunter Association, he had confirmed a piece of information:
Huang Dongshi, Huang Dongshu's violent younger brother, who had immigrated to the U.S. and reached low S-class strength, had already boarded a ship from the U.S. back to H Country.
He was expected to arrive at a H Country port within a few days.
His purpose was obvious.
He would undoubtedly avenge his brother's death.
And Xu Feng, Cheng Xiaoyu, and Liu Chenhao, who had been there at the time, were probably all on his revenge list.
A sense of urgency immediately settled over Xu Feng.
"I can't keep taking things one step at a time..."
A cold glint flashed in Xu Feng's eyes as he turned the Invisibility Orb over in his hand.
"I have to gain the strength to fight back—or at least protect myself—as quickly as possible.
"The resources in an A-class dungeon, and... the chance to observe an S-Class Hunter. I can't let either slip by."
Having made up his mind, he didn't hesitate any longer.
He moved, and the ground beneath his feet barely made a sound. Like an arrow released from its bow, he shot toward the southern outskirts of S City.
He didn't unleash his full speed, but even so, his figure left a blurred afterimage in the night.
The air groaned as he tore through it.
At a terrifying speed close to breaking the sound barrier, a journey of dozens of kilometers felt like a leisurely stroll after a meal.
Just minutes later, a vast abandoned factory district, temporarily sealed off and brightly lit, appeared before him.
A powerful surge of magic came from underground in the depths of the complex. Even from a great distance, its unsettling energy could be felt.
This was the entrance to the A-class dungeon the White Tiger Guild would raid that night:
The Lava Grotto.
A joint military and Hunter Association security perimeter had been set up around the factory district. Armed soldiers and low-ranking Hunters with battle-hardened auras patrolled the perimeter.
The inside was much less crowded. Only a few figures radiating powerful auras stood talking quietly and checking their equipment.
One of them stood out in particular: a red-haired giant, nearly two meters thirty tall, wearing nothing but a sleeveless tactical vest. His exposed, bronze-colored skin stretched over thickly muscled limbs.
He radiated an oppressive aura like a primordial beast simply by standing there. He was the White Tiger Guild's S-Class Hunter—
Bai Luhao!
Xu Feng stopped in the shadows several hundred meters from the entrance. The Invisibility Orb shimmered faintly, concealing his figure.
His sharp gaze swept over the people gathered there, lingering for a moment on Bai Luhao.
"S-class... truly extraordinary."
Xu Feng thought to himself, taking even greater care to suppress the fluctuations of his qi and blood so as not to alert the other man.
Fortunately, there were no A-class Hunters specialized in perception on the team.
As long as Xu Feng didn't attack, no one would notice him for now.
He waited in silence for the raiding party to enter.
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