159: Have you mastered the three stages of a B-level powerhouse?

Clouds rapidly receded beneath their feet, and the fierce wind was blocked by a layer of azure sword Aura.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged behind the giant iron sword, still holding the apple he had snagged from the hospital, munching on it with a crunch.

"Old Lu, give me the lowdown, will you?"

Lin Yuan swallowed the apple in his mouth and poked Lu Changfeng, who was standing at the sword's tip drinking in the wind, with his elbow.

"That sword strike that day was a bit too cool. Shouldn't that be A-rank?"

It was no wonder Lin Yuan was curious.

That single sword strike effortlessly shattered the spatial suppression of the mirror.

If that was B-rank, then what was Tian Shu, whom he had encountered before? A Pinduoduo version of B-rank?

"A-rank?"

Lu Changfeng turned around, looked at Lin Yuan as if he were an idiot, and gave him a sharp flick on the forehead.

"Dong!"

"Ouch! Just talk, why hit me!" Lin Yuan protested, covering his head.

"Do you think A-rank is like cabbage that you can buy in bulk at the market?"

Lu Changfeng scoffed, tilted his head back, took a swig of cheap Erguotou, and wiped his mouth: "At that level, it's no longer a simple accumulation of 'quantity'."

"It's rules, it's Domains, it's... never mind, it's too early to tell you these things."

He glanced at Lin Yuan: "You, kid, are barely half a step into the threshold of B-rank now, but you're still far from a true B-rank Expert."

"Isn't it just a matter of how much energy?" Lin Yuan was unconvinced, "Give me a nuclear power plant, and I'll fill up the energy bar in minutes."

"Shallow."

Lu Changfeng shook his head and, uncharacteristically, began to explain seriously: "C-rank to B-rank is a leap in the level of life. The Dragon Shield Bureau's division of B-rank into three stages is reasonable."

"The first stage is Resonance. Just like when you summoned lightning before, it's no longer simply consuming the energy within your Physical Body, but using yourself as a guide to leverage the power of heaven and earth. This is 'borrowing Aura'."

"The second stage is Elementalization. This step is the most perilous, where the Physical Body transforms into an energy body. Look at that Tian Shu; although he's not very bright, the reason he survived that punch was because parts of his body had elementalized, allowing him to evade fatal injuries."

Lin Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

Indeed, when that punch landed on Tian Shu's face, it felt like hitting a blob of asphalt, with most of the force being dissipated.

"What about the third stage?" Su Wanqing, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

"The third stage is Pseudo-Domain."

Lu Changfeng's expression darkened, "It's forming an absolutely controlled force field around your body. Within this force field, you are the lawmaker of the rules."

"Although it can't compare to the true 'rewriting' of an A-rank, among those of the same rank, someone with a Pseudo-Domain fighting someone without one is like beating their own son."

At this point, he looked at Lin Yuan with a hint of teasing.

"You, kid, were lucky. That Tian Shu that day, just as he was about to unleash his Pseudo-Domain, you split his frame apart with a single blade. If he had managed to fully expand his Pseudo-Domain..."

Lu Changfeng chuckled: "You'd probably be digested into a pile of... well, you know."

Lin Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.

"We're here."

Lu Changfeng put away his smile, and the sword light beneath his feet shifted, beginning to dive.

Lin Yuan looked down.

What met his eyes was a vast, turbulent sea.

Besides water, there was still water.

Not to mention islands, not even a single reef was visible.

"Old Lu, are you drunk and navigated us off course?" Lin Yuan peered down, clinging to the sword's edge, "There's nothing down here. Did we come here just for a swim?"

"So provincial."

Lu Changfeng snorted coldly and pulled out a token from hisIn my arms.

The token was neither metal nor wood, and it had one character carved on it—"Dragon."

He casually tossed the token forward.

"Open!"

Buzz—!

A transparent portal, a hundred zhang tall, appeared out of thin air!

Through the portal, Lin Yuan saw a completely different scene behind it.

It was an island.

Or rather, a miniature continent floating on the sea.

Majestic mountains, shrouded in mist.

"Is this... Penglai?" Lin Yuan's eyes widened.

This was no secret base; this was clearly an immortal island from myths directly transplanted into reality!

"Hold on tight!"

Lu Changfeng shouted in a low voice, carrying the two of them through the light gate.

After passing through the light gate, a rich Spiritual Qi assailed them.

Just taking a breath, every cell in their bodies cheered.

"[Detecting high-energy environment... Passive charging efficiency increased by 300%...]".

The System's prompt sound rang out at the opportune moment.

"What a great place!" Lin Yuan's eyes were glowing green, "If I lived here, I could level up just by sleeping, right?"

The three landed on a white jade square.

Many people had already gathered here.

Not only agents in Dragon Shield Bureau uniforms, but also Daoists in Daoist robes and monks in kasayas.

There were even a few scions of prominent families dressed in suits but carrying Magical Artifacts.

In the distance, several magnificent palaces were built against the mountains, with flying eaves and upturned corners, exuding a majestic Aura.

And around the palaces, modern radar arrays and armed transport planes taking off and landing could be seen.

Ancient and modern, cultivation and technology, coexisted harmoniously here.

"This is the Dragon Shield Bureau's East Sea Branch, codenamed 'Penglai'."

Lu Changfeng put away his iron sword and hung it back at his waist.

"This is China's first line of defense against East Sea beasts and foreign forces, and also the largest resource transit station."

Lin Yuan stepped on the white jade pavement, the touch beneath his feet warm and delicate.

But he frowned.

He didn't know why, but ever since he set foot on this island, he had a strange feeling.

He vaguely felt that the ground beneath his feet... was moving.

It wasn't the tremor of an earthquake.

But an extremely faint pulsation.

It was like... a heartbeat.

"What's wrong?" Su Wanqing noticed Lin Yuan's abnormality and asked in a low voice.

"Nothing."

Lin Yuan shook his head, suppressing that strange feeling.

Perhaps it was the Spiritual Qi Formation here operating.

After all, for such a large island, it was normal to have some power devices underneath.

Surely this island wasn't a living creature? That would be too absurd.

"Let's go, I'll take you to report first."

Lu Changfeng, familiar with the way, led the two through the square and walked towards the largest palace—"Dinghai Hall."

Along the way, many people actively greeted Lu Changfeng.

"Brother Lu!"

"Greetings, Senior Lu!"

Lu Changfeng waved his hand casually, his disheveled appearance out of place with the solemn and serious surroundings.

However, when the three arrived at the door of an office on the third floor.

The atmosphere suddenly changed.

Lu Changfeng suddenly stopped.

He stuffed his hip flask into his waistband, rubbed his face vigorously, and then tidied his messy, bird's nest-like hair.

He even pulled the zipper of his oil-stained jacket all the way up, trying to cover the old undershirt inside.

"Cough."

Lu Changfeng cleared his throat, took a breath, and then gently knocked three times on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Enter."

A female voice came from inside the door.

Lu Changfeng pushed the door open, a smile on his face.

"Uh... Captain Zhao, busy?"

Lin Yuan followed behind, peeking in.

The office was large, with a minimalist decor.

A woman stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

She wore a trench coat, had neat short hair, and her back was to the door as she wiped a long saber.

Hearing the sound, the woman turned around.

Her features were extremely sharp, and there was a heroic Aura in her brows that was no less than a man's.

Especially her eyes; just being glanced at by her, Lin Yuan felt a tearing sensation on his skin.

Zhao Ya.

Captain of the "Sword Immortal" Special Combat Team, Penglai Branch of the Dragon Shield Bureau.

A top-tier Expert in the first echelon below A-rank.

"Lu Changfeng."

Zhao Ya sheathed her long saber with a crisp sound.

She folded her arms, looking at the middle-aged man with a half-smile.

"Are these the two 'treasures' you brought back from Jiangcheng?"

Her gaze passed over Lu Changfeng, falling on Lin Yuan and Su Wanqing.

"That Su Family girl, I know, ice-element ability, Aptitude is acceptable."

Zhao Ya commented, her gaze sweeping over Lin Yuan.

"As for this one..."

She sized Lin Yuan up and down, her eyebrows slightly raised.

"His lightning Qi is quite pure, but he looks..."

"A bit weak?"

Lin Yuan: "???"

You can insult my character, but you cannot insult my kidneys!

"Beauty, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say anything," Lin Yuan straightened his back, "This is called being reserved! Do you understand what reserved means?"

"Heh."

Zhao Ya chuckled lightly, ignoring Lin Yuan's glibness, and turned to look at Lu Changfeng.

"I'll take them."

She walked back to her desk, picked up a document, and tossed it to Lu Changfeng.

"Coincidentally, things haven't been peaceful lately; those sea monkeys are stirring up trouble again."

"My team is short-handed."

Zhao Ya looked up, her gaze burning.

"Since they were brought by you, don't raise them like hothouse flowers."

"From today on, they will be temporarily assigned to the 'Sword Immortal' team."

"Tomorrow morning, we're going out to sea."

Lu Changfeng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but under Zhao Ya's sharp gaze, he ultimately swallowed his words.

"Alright... you call the shots."

He turned his head and gave Lin Yuan a look that said, "Fend for yourself."

Lin Yuan watched this scene, and a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart.