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Chapter 20: One strike cleaves a D-rank item in two!

Lin Feng crouched behind the rock, his fingers resting on the system panel.

The main battlefield is in complete chaos.

After all six legs of the mutated ground fissure beetle emerged from the ground, it occupied more than half of the entire rocky platform.

His twelve-meter-tall body lay there, and every time he moved, it felt like an earthquake was happening beneath his feet.

Han Qingshan and Shen Yunfei, both martial artists at the peak of their cultivation, fought for almost three minutes. One took the blow head-on, while the other attacked from the side. Their carapaces were covered in white marks, but not a single drop of blood was drawn.

Old Zhao was positioned on the right flank, wielding a long sword that sent sparks flying, but the blade was already chipped, and the effect of each strike was diminishing.

Old Ma, dragging his injured right leg, struggled to hold the left flank.

Two other martial artists at the fifth rank and one at the sixth rank were scattered around the perimeter, responsible for intercepting the small beetles that were still emerging from the hole.

Lin Feng was about to make a move.

The mutated beetle's tail suddenly curled up high.

"Watch out!" Han Qingshan roared.

Too late.

The beetle sprayed a cloud of dark yellow acid from its tail, which spread out in a fan shape, covering an area of nearly ten meters.

The soldier, a fifth-level martial artist, couldn't dodge in time and was drenched half of his body with acid.

"Aaaaaah!!!"

The screams were heart-wrenching.

The acid dissolved instantly upon contact with the body, followed by the skin and muscles, which visibly collapsed.

The man rolled on the ground, frantically scraping the liquid off his body with both hands, but the more he scraped, the more liquid came off, and his fingers were corroded until the white bone was exposed.

Less than five seconds.

Half of his body had melted into a pool of bloody, mangled mud.

The person was still breathing, their mouth was still opening and closing, but they couldn't make a sound; their trachea had been burned through by the acid.

Another martial artist at the fifth level was splashed with acid on his right arm, which burned right through the armor and the flesh of his entire arm.

He screamed and stumbled backward, crashing into the rock wall, biting his lip hard to keep himself from passing out.

"Damn it!" Old Zhao cursed, raising his knife in an attempt to cut off the beetle's tail.

But its tail was harder than its main carapace; when the knife struck it, the impact sent Old Zhao bouncing back.

The beetle seized the opportunity and slapped at it with its claw.

Old Zhao blocked it with his sword.

It didn't block it.

Three dark gold claws slammed into his chest, smashing him and his knife into the rock wall.

Old Zhao was embedded in the stone, spitting out a mouthful of blood and foam. He had at least four or five broken ribs, and his internal organs were displaced.

He struggled to pull it out, his body twitched twice, he spat out another mouthful of blood, and then went limp.

In less than thirty seconds, one person died and two were seriously injured.

Han Qingshan and Shen Yunfei's expressions were extremely grim.

"Should we retreat or not?" Shen Yunfei's voice had lost its previous composure.

"Where to retreat to?" Han Qingshan gritted his teeth.

The beetle blocked the center of the confluence, with the hole it had drilled behind it. The left side passage had collapsed, and the right main passage was squeezed by its body, leaving only a gap about half a person's width.

Who would dare squeeze through this narrow gap?

It squeezed halfway through and then smashed it into a meat patty with one claw.

Dead end.

"We'll stall for as long as we can," Han Qingshan gritted his teeth. "I don't believe this beast can keep dragging this out indefinitely."

Shen Yunfei remained silent, gripping the chipped blade of the knife tightly in his hand.

The two rushed forward again.

This time, Han Qingshan changed his tactics. Instead of cutting the carapace, he focused on drilling under the beetle's abdomen.

That's the area where the carapace is thinnest.

He slid in, lay on his back, and stabbed the beetle in the abdomen with his knife.

The tip of the knife went in about three centimeters.

Then it got stuck.

The beetle's abdomen suddenly contracted, and all six legs pressed down at the same time.

Han Qingshan quickly rolled away, but less than half a second later, that spot was crushed into powder by the weight of the six legs.

"The plastron is tough enough." Han Qingshan got up from the ground, his clothes were completely torn on the back, and there was a large bloodstain on the exposed skin.

Shen Yunfei tried to attack the beetle's compound eyes from the other side.

The six compound eyes are the most prominent soft tissue of the entire beetle.

He leaped up, stepping on the broken stone pillar, and stabbed at the largest compound eye with his knife.

The moment the knife tip touched the surface of the compound eye, the beetle's head jerked violently.

Shen Yunfei's knife only pierced the outer membrane of the compound eye, without causing any deep injury, before he was thrown away.

He adjusted his posture in mid-air, and when he landed, the wound on his left arm burst open, and the bandage was soaked with blood, dripping down.

"Damn it, you can't even pierce a compound eye."

Shen Yunfei knelt on one knee, his breathing becoming heavy.

Lin Feng watched all of this from behind, his finger hovering over the system panel for two seconds.

Can't wait any longer.

If they wait any longer, Han Qingshan and Shen Yunfei will also perish here.

"Realm, all added."

[Consumption of martial arts points×200]

[Realm Advancement: Martial Artist Stage 2 → Martial Artist Stage 3]

The first surge of heat exploded from the dantian and flowed into the limbs along the meridians.

The bones creaked and cracked, the muscles expanded and contracted rapidly, and the whole body seemed to be compressed.

Before the heat dissipated, Lin Feng immediately poured in the remaining points.

[Consumption of martial arts points×300]

[Martial Realm Advancement: Martial Artist Stage 3 → Martial Artist Stage 4!]

This time it came even more fiercely.

Lin Feng's blood surged, and a visible white wave of energy exploded from his body, sending the rubble beneath his feet flying.

Han Qingshan and Shen Yunfei turned their heads to look at each other at the same time.

The change in that aura was too obvious.

Martial artist, fourth dan.

Just a moment ago, he was a second-dan, but in the blink of an eye, he jumped two levels to become a fourth-dan.

Han Qingshan opened his mouth, but said nothing.

Shen Yunfei's pupils contracted, his face filled with disbelief.

Lin Feng didn't give them time to react.

He stood up, and the sword, splitting the mountain, was drawn.

Dark golden spirit patterns flowed wildly across the blade, and part of the power of the A-grade weapon was activated by the blood and qi of a fourth-stage martial artist.

The blade hummed, and the entire crack trembled slightly.

"The Mountain-Slaying Slash".

Lin Feng gripped the knife with both hands and raised it high above his head.

All the blood and energy in the body converged on the blade at this moment, and the air around the blade was compressed and deformed. A pale golden arc of wind began to condense at the edge of the blade.

The beetle sensed danger; its six compound eyes turned towards Lin Feng simultaneously, and its mouthparts opened, where another mass of acid was gathering.

"Die, you son of a bitch!"

The knife fell.

The arc-shaped gale tore through the ground, carving a three-foot-deep trench into the rocky platform in its wake.

A strong gust of wind struck the front of the mutated beetle's carapace.

Click!

The dark gold armor that Han Qingshan and Shen Yunfei had been unable to break through with hundreds of cuts finally cracked open with a half-meter-long gash in the middle with this one strike.

Cracks extended from the surface of the carapace to the interior, from which dark green fluid gushed out.

The beetle let out a piercing screech and took two steps back.

But Lin Feng had already rushed up.

He leaped up, stepping on the beetle's forelegs, and with a powerful thrust, aimed at the opening and stabbed it in with all his might.

The blade was mostly submerged.

Lin Feng gripped the knife handle tightly with both hands and twisted it downwards.

His internal organs were shredded into pieces, and dark green liquid mixed with blood sprayed all over his face.

The beetle struggled frantically, its six legs flailing wildly, causing the entire platform to shake.

Lin Feng drew his sword, jumped onto the beetle's back, found the widest gap in the shell, and slashed again.

The cut pierced right through the beetle's spine.

The beetle's struggle abruptly stopped, and all six legs froze simultaneously.

boom.

The massive 12-meter-tall object crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

It didn't move.

[Slay a D-rank alien beast: Earth-Crack Beetle]

[Gain 200 Martial Arts Points]

[Steel of the Blade: 102/500]

[First kill of a D-rank beast triggers a special loot drop!]

[Acquired Martial Skill: "Stealth Step" (S-Rank Martial Skill)]

【The Mysterious Step: The body moves at will, as swift as a ghost. When mastered to perfection, it can create up to three afterimages during movement, each lasting 0.5 seconds and possessing a tangible feel, capable of disrupting the opponent's judgment. Movement speed increased by 300%.】

[Should I study?]

"study."

A flood of information rushed into my mind.

The way you start your footwork, the rhythm of weight transfer, and the techniques for changing direction are all etched into your body's memory in an instant.

【Phantom Step (1/2000), already learned】

Lin Feng stood on the beetle's corpse, his body covered in dark green fluid, and the Mountain Splitter in his hand was still dripping with juice.

On the platform, everyone who was still alive stood frozen in place.

Han Qingshan stood leaning on his knife, his legs trembling.

Shen Yunfei knelt on one knee, looked up at Lin Feng standing on the beetle's back, his Adam's apple bobbed, but he couldn't say a word.

There was silence for a full ten seconds.

Han Qingshan spoke, his voice terribly hoarse.

"You just broke through?"

"Um."

"Two sections?"

"Um."

Han Qingshan lowered his head, looked at the knife in his hand that had three chips, and then looked at the Mountain Splitter in Lin Feng's hand that had dark gold spirit patterns flowing around it.

After a long pause, he managed to utter a single sentence.

"I fucking fought for three minutes, and you stabbed me once."

Shen Yunfei coughed twice, and blood bubbles appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Dig out the magic core quickly. Don't wait until those little bugs reappear."

Lin Feng jumped off the beetle's back and used Lie Shan to split open its shell.

The D-grade magic core is a whole size larger than the E-grade one, dark gold in color, and feels heavy in your hand.

He estimated that the magic core was worth at least 200,000.

"This is yours." Han Qingshan walked over, glanced at the magic core, and waved his hand. "I didn't do much, I'd feel bad taking it."

Shen Yunfei also shook his head.

"I didn't even pierce its shell, so I'm not qualified to take a share."

Lin Feng glanced at the two of them, didn't refuse, and put the bag in his pocket.

Then he walked up to Old Zhao.

Old Zhao is still embedded in the rock wall; he's unconscious, but he's still breathing.

Lin Feng pulled him out and stuffed a Rejuvenation Pill into his mouth.

The sixth-level martial artist with the broken arm was still alive, being supported by Sun Liang and leaning against a corner, his face as white as paper.

The one whose body was half dissolved by the acid is gone.

Nine people came in, seven of them survived, and apart from Lin Feng, they all had some kind of injury.

"Can you walk?" Han Qingshan scanned the wounded.

Old Ma dragged his aching leg to his feet, gritted his teeth, and nodded.

Sun Liang's calf was bitten through, and he limped, but he could still move.

"Let's go."

The seven people retreated uphill along the main passage. Lin Feng and Han Qingshan each carried one of the wounded and walked at the front.

The small strange beasts along the way had long been frightened away by the commotion.

The entire passage was quiet, save for the sound of footsteps and the muffled groans of the wounded in pain.

After walking for nearly forty minutes, the light at the entrance of the crack finally appeared.

Han Qingshan breathed a sigh of relief.

Seven people climbed out of the crack, and the sunlight outside made everyone squint.

In the direction of the camp in the distance, there were figures moving about.

You can only see it clearly when you get closer.

Chen Lie stood at the camp gate with a dozen or so men, his expression a mix of anxiety and anger.

"You fucking finally came out!"

Chen Lie rushed over, waving his one arm in the air.

"We've been inside for twelve hours! Communication was down for eight hours! I almost had to send a second team in to find you!"

Han Qingshan put Lao Zhao on the stretcher and turned around.

"There is a Class D mutant inside the fissure, the Earth-Crack Beetle, a mutated one."

Chen Lie's expression changed.

"Rank D? Where are they?"

"Neither of them came back."

Chen Lie closed his eyes and said nothing more.

The injured person was carried away on a stretcher.

Lin Feng followed the group into the camp.

Halfway there, Chen Lie caught up with him and stopped him.

"Deputy Battalion Commander Zhao wants to see you."

"Now?"

"Now."

Lin Feng, still covered in beetle fluids and with blood still on his face, followed Chen Lie to Deputy Battalion Commander Zhao's tent.

Push the door open and go inside.

Deputy Battalion Commander Zhao sat behind the table; Han Qingshan and Shen Yunfei were already there.

The two reports have probably already been submitted.

Deputy Battalion Commander Zhao held a document in his hand and looked up at Lin Feng.

"Han Qingshan said that you single-handedly dealt with the D-level mutated earth-crack beetle."

Lin Feng nodded.

"Shen Yunfei said the same thing."

Lin Feng nodded again.

This kind of thing can't be hidden at all. Instead of trying to cover it up, it's better to admit it openly.

Deputy Battalion Commander Zhao closed the document and pushed a wooden box over from the table.

"Open it and take a look."

Lin Feng lifted the lid.

Inside was a bronze badge, with the insignia of the Northern Frontier engraved on the front and three words engraved on the back.

Sergeant Major.

"Effective immediately, your rank is being adjusted from ordinary guard to sergeant major." Deputy Battalion Commander Zhao stood up. "Monthly salary of ten thousand, plus a merit-based allowance."

"At the same time, you will no longer participate in the daily camp duty shifts."

Deputy Battalion Commander Zhao walked to the map of the northern border on the wall and drew a circle on it with his finger.

"The rifts around the Northern Territory are divided into three categories. The first category is rifts directly under the military, which are cleared and defended by regular troops. The second category is contracted rifts, where the military sells the right to use them to private martial arts organizations or martial arts associations, who then organize their own personnel to enter and pay fees regularly. The third category is wild rifts, which are unregulated and anyone can enter if they want, but if you die, no one will care."

"As a sergeant major, you have the right to form your own squad and choose to enter military-controlled rifts to carry out missions. Forty percent of the profits will be handed over to the military, and the rest will be yours."

He turned around.

"You can also pay to enter private organizations and martial arts associations' contracted cracks, at your own expense."

Lin Feng took the badge in his hand and flipped it over.

How is the price calculated for contracting out crack repairs?

"It depends on the level. Entering an F-level rift costs about 5,000 to 10,000 yuan. An E-level rift costs 20,000 to 50,000 yuan. A D-level rift starts at 100,000 yuan." Deputy Battalion Commander Zhao pointed to two locations on the map. "Within a radius of 100 kilometers in the Northern Territory, there are 28 contracted rifts, 57 military-controlled rifts, and 13 wild rifts that are not managed by anyone."

"The beasts inside the rifts will regenerate periodically, with a cycle of about seven to ten days. So these rifts are like a long-term cash cow for their owners."

Lin Feng put the badge into his pocket.

"The military directly controls the cracks; I can enter anytime?"

"Anytime. But you need to report each time, and bring your squad roster."

"Understood."

Lin Feng turned to leave.

Deputy Battalion Commander Zhao called him over.

"There's one more thing."

He pulled a piece of paper from the drawer and handed it to him.

"You've been transferred to another military camp to solo a D-level alien beast. Staying here any longer would be a waste of your talents."

Lin Feng took it and glanced at it.

The transfer order for the Sixth Line of Defense had his name on it.

Lin Feng.