Chapter 317: Burning Tumor, Arrival at the Seventh Metropolitan Circle, and the Supreme Martial Asce

Chapter 317: Burning Tumor, Arrival at the Seventh Metropolitan Circle, and the Supreme Martial Ascension Palace (4K)



Woken up in the middle of the night by the incident with the dragon blockade, Xue Jing didn't return to sleep but instead chatted with Ning Yuante about random topics, all while keeping a close eye on the situation outside.

Despite Ning Yuante's repeated assurances that the flight path was discreet and safe, and the dragon blockade was an unexpected anomaly, Xue Jing felt that given his current condition, trusting science was less reliable than superstition.

It was better to be cautious; he couldn't afford for the entire plane to be suddenly blown up by some unknown force, as he wouldn't be able to reach the Seventh Metropolitan Circle alone.

With his abundant energy, staying awake for ten days or even half a month wouldn't be a problem.

Fortunately, no other unexpected incidents occurred, and the plane flew steadily along its designated route for an entire day.

"Xue Ge, look over there!" Ning Yuante suddenly pointed out the right window at something in the distance.

Xue Jing followed his finger and saw a massive pillar of fire rising from the distant ground. He roughly estimated its height to be at least ten thousand meters, continuously spewing countless sparks and molten lava.

The spectacular sight left Xue Jing in awe, reminiscent of his first impression of the Sky Tower Center.

"What is that?" Xue Jing asked.

Ning Yuante explained, "That's a special borderland, with the serial number F457, known as the 'Burning Garden.' It's a rare A+ grade, super-large borderland."

"Most of the flame-dwelling species originate from this borderland, including the 'Furnace Elite Being' you encountered before."

"Currently, most borderlands in the world are 'regional,' but the Burning Garden is different; it's a 'connected-type borderland.'"

"That pillar of fire actually functions like a portal. When we step into it, we'll be transported to the Burning Garden, and there are many such portals around the world, all leading to the same 'Burning Garden.'"

Ning Yuante enthusiastically elaborated, "In fact, the Burning Garden feels more like a different world, rather than a borderland attached to our world... But we haven't found evidence of it being an alternate dimension, so we can only temporarily classify it as a borderland."

"The environment inside is said to be quite fascinating; it's a world where flames burn everywhere, and the lowest temperature is above three hundred degrees."

"But in this environment, can you believe it actually rains? Although it's not water but liquid iron rain, and a single drop can pierce through a person's head..."

"To stay in the Burning Garden for an extended period, even top-tier experts must wear protective suits made from 'Sky Water Mother' skin..."

Xue Jing gazed at the pillar of fire and nodded, "Interesting. If I have the chance in the future, I'd like to go in and experience it myself."

Ning Yuante smiled and said, "What's even more interesting is the origin of the Burning Garden, which is related to a 'superbeing.'"

Xue Jing curiously asked, "Oh? How so?"

A superbeing with a danger level above ten, possessing the ability to destroy the world.

No one could resist the allure of stories about such powerful beings.

Ning Yuante carefully chose his words, "It was over fifty years ago."

"At that time, we in the Arctic Federation had just experienced a 'major event,' and although we were severely weakened, we rose again, showing signs of prosperity."

"It was then that a great disaster suddenly befell us."

"Not just the Arctic Federation, but the entire northwestern Pacific region, nearby countries, and even the whole world were at risk."

Ning Yuante drew a large circle in the air with his hands.

"It was a giant sphere, with a diameter of over two kilometers, resembling an ugly, burning flesh tumor, and it appeared abruptly in the northwestern Pacific Ocean."

"Our official designation for it is 'Burning Tumor.'"

"Undoubtedly, it's a superbeing with a danger level above ten."

"It appeared out of nowhere, descending onto the northwestern Pacific Ocean's surface, instantly evaporating a massive amount of seawater. The resulting steam caused continuous heavy rainfall worldwide."

Ning Yuante extended a hand and raised three fingers, his expression grave as he said, "Three days. That's how long the Burning Tumor existed in our world."

"And within those short three days, it caused the global sea level to rise by 2.7 meters and the average global temperature to permanently increase by 1.06 degrees."

"According to later expert estimates, if the Burning Tumor had remained on this planet, even without taking any action, it could have led to the extinction of most humans within just three months."

"It will bring about the Great Flood from the Book of Genesis, submerging most of the land."

Global temperatures rise, polar glaciers melt, and sea levels rapidly rise, flooding the land. The massive amount of water vapor will cause continuous terrifying rainstorms worldwide...

This is the terrifying threat of superorganisms to humanity.

"So it only survived for three days? How was it dealt with?" Xue Jing asked curiously.

Ning Yuante scratched his head, "This is top-secret information, not something I would know."

"I only know that it was led by Zhuxia, along with several powerful countries in the East Asian region and the Second Arctic Federation, and they paid a huge price to subdue it."

"But I did hear some rumors that the most critical factor in the successful subjugation was the intervention of the 'Supreme Martial King'."

"I'm not sure if the rumor is true, but after the subjugation, the distribution of spoils of war did favor Zhuxia, as they obtained the core organ of the 'Burning Tumor'. This suggests that the rumor is likely to be true."

Upon hearing this, Xue Jing nodded and sighed, "If it's true, then the fact that a single person could play such a crucial role in the battle against a superorganism is indeed unimaginable."

Ning Yuante replied, "That's for sure."

He pointed out the window to the flame pillar that was still visible from the plane, towering over ten thousand meters high.

"The power of the 'Burning Tumor' is evident from that. Just a few sparks were enough to burn holes in the present world, and that was just one of the sparks."

"Many scholars now believe that the Burning Garden is not a Borderland, but an alternate dimension that gave birth to the 'Burning Tumor'."

"However, this type of 'interconnected Borderland' is not unique to the Burning Garden, so there's no decisive evidence to prove it's an alternate dimension. Based on scholarly rigor, it can only be classified as an 'ultra-large Borderland'."

As they chatted, time passed slowly.

Xue Jing's worries did not come to fruition, as if the heavens were playing a joke on him. Despite his vigilance, the journey was incredibly calm, and they passed through the secret and safe area without incident.

A day later.

"Xue Ge, we're almost at the Seventh Metropolitan Circle."

Xue Jing, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them upon hearing Ning Yuante's voice.

"We can already see the Border City defense line, and there's still time before the Martial Exam begins. Should we go for a walk?"

Ning Yuante suggested.

"The Seventh Metropolitan Circle has a strong martial arts culture, and many of the Borderland hunters in the Border City are martial experts. The city caters to their interests, and there are many interesting things to see..."

Xue Jing shook his head, unmoved, "No, let's go straight to Silver City."

He was certain that such a chaotic place would definitely bring trouble his way. It was best not to waste time, and he didn't want to arrive just in time to show off...

Although he had put on a show before, it was out of necessity and not his true intention.

"Alright."

Ning Yuante had no objections to Xue Jing's suggestion.

Soon, the plane soared through the sky, crossing the Border City defense line and entering the Seventh Metropolitan Circle.

Unbeknownst to Xue Jing and the others, on the ground in the 41st Border City of the Seventh Metropolitan Circle, a shabby street by a stinking ditch, someone was looking up at the rapidly departing plane.

He was a bald man wearing only a denim jacket, exposing his muscular arms and chest. He wore sunglasses, stood over one meter tall, and his exposed skin was covered in various terrifying scars, testaments to the countless brutal battles he had endured. His aura radiated the defiant spirit of a veteran soldier, striking fear into those around him.

The man took out an almost antique-looking flip phone from his pocket and opened it, pressing the number keys clumsily before making a call.

"I saw it, and I recognized the plane. It's the commander's plane."

"..."

"It didn't stop, it went straight in."

"..."

"Don't worry, I'll be there soon... But you should know, I'm the last resort. If it comes to me, it means the situation is already half-failed."

"..."

After chatting on the phone for a while, the bald man slowly closed the flip phone and held it in his palm, squeezing it tightly.

As he opened his palm again, the flip phone had somehow transformed into a small black sphere, the size of a lollipop, its surface smooth as if polished by countless machines, reflecting a glint of darkness.

Tossing the small black sphere casually to the side, the bald man strode forward, and ahead of him, a seemingly formidable muscular man approached, their gazes unintentionally meeting.

"Hmm?" The bald man removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of lion-like, grotesque eyes.

"What the hell are you looking at?" he asked, his voice filled with contempt.

The muscular man immediately halted, "Huh? What's wrong with looking? Can't I look?"

A palm descended from above, pressing down on the muscular man's forehead, and then, inch by inch, it began to sink.

Muscles, bones, organs... The sounds of various internal body parts shattering filled the air as the muscular man's once towering frame was compressed to less than five centimeters in a single second, not even having time to scream before becoming a flattened mess.

It was as if a blood-filled flesh bag had burst, dark blood oozing out and splattering within a radius of seven or eight meters.

The pedestrians nearby paused for a moment, but merely glanced over and continued on their way as if such a cruel act of murder on the street was a trivial, everyday occurrence.

"You damn dog, you've dirtied my hands."

The man shook his hand, disgusted by the splattered flesh, and left with a swagger.

...

Five hours later.

The high-speed aircraft flew past the outer ring of the Seventh Metropolitan Circle, entering the inner ring.

Sch Jing looked out the porthole, gazing downward, and noticed snowflakes falling through the clouds.

"...It's snowing."

Sch Jing stared fixedly for a moment.

He was born in the Fifth Metropolitan Circle, located in the south, and had never seen snow in his life.

"The climate in the Seventh Metropolitan Circle is strange because it's close to the Arctic. Sometimes, even in the middle of summer, it might suddenly snow in July or August," Ning Yuante explained.

"I see," Sch Jing nodded, "It's because of the influence of 'Celestial Ice,' right?"

Previously, when he was in Yuan City, he had encountered Yuga Rinroku and another member of the Mischief Gang, a female Grand Duchess from the Arctic Federation.

Out of curiosity about why the Grand Duchess wanted to capture the Furnace Elite Being, he had also briefly learned about the situation in the Arctic Federation.

Upon investigation, he discovered that life in the Arctic Federation was exceptionally challenging... All because, deep within the Arctic continent, a super-being codenamed 'Celestial Ice' was entrenched there.

'Celestial Ice' possessed a peculiar domain erosion ability, continuously expanding its territory.

This caused the already harsh climate in Siberia to become even colder, compressing the Arctic Federation's living environment, resulting in the deaths of countless people from freezing each year.

However, the 'Furnace Elite Being' was one of the few beings capable of resisting this erosion, making it highly sought after in the Arctic Federation.

Ning Yuante nodded and sighed, "Since its appearance, Celestial Ice has been expanding. It's something that must be dealt with in the future... But the one who can best restrain and has the best chance of defeating Celestial Ice has some entanglements with the Arctic Federation. Even though the federal government has lowered its stance and requested their help, they still haven't received a response."

"If this continues, the Zhuxia will also be greatly affected..."

The plane continued its journey, and after a while, it emerged from the cloud cover, revealing a breathtaking sight.

Sch Jing looked up—

In the distant horizon, a towering white pillar, akin to the mythical 'World Pillar,' abruptly caught his gaze.

Sch Jing's eyes widened in surprise, and he asked curiously, "Is that the Sky Tower Center of the Seventh Metropolitan Circle?"

Ning Yuante also looked over and smiled, "Sch Jing, this one in the Seventh Metropolitan Circle is different. It should be called the 'Supreme Martial Ascension Palace'!"

Ning Yuante's eyes shone with reverence, "This is the holy land in the hearts of martial artists worldwide, and it's also the largest, best, and strongest martial arts exchange center in the world!"

"Forty-six thousand nine hundred and seventy-two floors! That's its exact number of floors. From the very first floor, countless martial artists compete and fight with each other. The higher you go, the competition becomes more intense."

"Any martial artist with grand ambitions will undoubtedly come here, attempting to reach the summit of the 'Celestial Palace'!"

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end