Chapter 392: The Four Heavenly Kings (8,000)

At the park square of the Galagher black market, the sky was overcast, and a light rain drizzled down.

The crowd was thick and eager, countless eyes fixed on the metal platform in the center—some frenzied, some hopeful, some merely here for entertainment, others with hidden agendas.

Qin Feng scanned the entire square, seemingly pleased with this spectacle of public attention, then spoke calmly; though his voice was soft, it carried through some mechanical amplification system, echoing across every corner of the square, even projecting his image in 360 degrees across the holographic screens floating above from the drones.

"Alright, what needed to be said has been said. You may all be curious: if this is a recruitment, shouldn't we first measure your ability indices, then select based on ability type, personal resources, team composition, etc.? Why am I holding an Ability Duel here?"

"It's simple."

Qin Feng's gaze turned icy, radiating an aura of supreme superiority as he swept over the leaders of the dozen large convoys beneath the rain canopy, then settled upon the ten-thousand-person square.

"Because what I need isn't just ability indices—I need madmen who dare smash their fate's chains with their bare flesh, martyrs who have carved the will to save the world into their marrow, night watchmen who can stare into the abyss without being devoured by its darkness."

"Look at our First Wall—those fellow citizens screaming in the night, those children torn apart by anomalies—they treat us like livestock, like trash—so I need a group of strong ones to stand beside me and become the sharpest blade!"

"This duel is open only to those above Destruction Level. The final selection will yield my Twelve Star Lords and Four Heavenly Kings, my left and right arms. These individuals must not only win in combat, but also pass my final test!"

At these words, the square fell silent for a moment—then erupted in a roaring wave of chaos.

"What the hell? Twelve Star Lords, Four Heavenly Kings? This guy's been reading too many novels…"

"Is he serious?"

"Still, it's kind of interesting—but minimum Destruction Level? That's way too high."

"So he's recruiting sixteen people above Destruction Level??"

"He's insane."

"But what if he actually pulls it off? Sixteen Destruction Levels plus one Angel-Level mechanical ability? That team would be brutal—I'd say they could take on an S-Class."

"Possible. There are already several Destruction Levels registered online, and with so many large convoys here, we might just lose some of our best to him."

Qin Feng raised his hands, smiling, signaling for silence, then spoke calmly.

"I forgot to mention the benefits of the Infinite Alliance."

The crowd fell quiet.

"First: all convoy members receive two meals daily, including meat and standard protein blocks, 500 milliliters of purified water. All Iron Grade are issued industrial combat armor; all Rampage Grade receive tactical powered armor—with unlimited ammunition."

"Second: each of the Twelve Star Lords receives a private living compartment, the latest interstellar-grade powered armor, command over a ten-thousand-person combat unit, and five cold-dark reagents per week."

"Third: my Four Heavenly Kings—designated Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise—receive unlimited cold-dark reagents, in addition to all above."

Whoa!

As Qin Feng finished speaking, the entire square exploded into uproar—every leader of the major convoys, including Lin Qingyu of Dawn Watchers Alliance, Lei Zhen of the United Alliance, Luo Heng of the Wind Whisperers, and Fatty Han Tiege of Full Metal Chaos, all changed expression.

"He said… unlimited cold-dark reagents?" Han Tiege scratched his head: "Did I hear that right?"

"This guy's full of shit," Lei Zhen said, skeptical.

Luo Heng looked stunned: "If he's recruiting over 120, 00 people for his twelve sub-convoys, all equipped with industrial armor and tactical powered armor—where the hell is he getting all this?"

On Lin Xian's side, his group was also stunned by Qin Feng's extravagance.

"Over a hundred thousand sets of armor—that's enough to equip two interstellar fleets," Zhou Jin said coldly, glancing at Lin Xian: "Lin Team Leader, can you determine if this guy truly has mechanical ability?"

Lin Xian replied: "Zhou Team Leader, let's go down and take a look. I'll also scout the underground passage—might find something else."

"I was thinking the same," Zhou Jin said. "The old Star City had a powerful underground industrial system—not sewage, energy pipes, or transit tunnels, but a deeper, military-grade underground network. The Federation must've repurposed it when building the underground city—and it was top secret."

"Simple," Lin Xian said.

The group moved. Lin Xian donned a black mask and, with Kiki and others, dispersed into the crowd, pushing toward the square's center. All communicated via encrypted channels—monitoring Federation agents while observing Qin Feng; Lin Xian focused on inspecting the large underground passage.

"Lin Team," Jiang Yun signaled, heading toward the canopy-covered convoys with Ren Huiyan. As a familiar face, Jiang Yun had good connections—he could keep watch and gather intel simultaneously.

"Lin Xian," Kiki whispered over the comm: "That guy—I know him. He's Wen Hui's son. His name is Li Jian!"

"That's easy," Lin Xian said immediately. "You and Fire Brother both sign up. Compete for his Twelve Star Lords or Four Heavenly Kings. Let's see how he fares in person."

"Why compete personally?" Kiki asked. "Didn't he say he'd test them himself?"

"Lin Team, Kiki's a telekinesis user—if she fights, she'll expose herself," Ningjing warned.

"Who said she's telekinesis?" Lin Xian smiled. "She's mechanical."

"Huh?!"

A chorus of shocked voices echoed through the comm. The crowd around them buzzed with confusion.

Kiki instantly understood, chuckling: "Heh, I get what you mean."

"Interesting," Qian Dele replied.

"Lin Team, are you trying to sabotage him?" Jiang Yun, now weaving through the crowd toward the convoy camps, asked immediately.

"Of course. The Silver Star is my Deputy Jian's. If he gathers a crew of Destruction Levels, reclaiming it'll be harder. He's poaching people—other convoys must be furious. And he's backed by the Federation—most suspect he's their white glove, designed to lure and hold people. We disrupt him, others will be glad to help."

As Lin Xian finished speaking, he activated his mechanical ability, spreading outward to probe the underground facilities.

"Lin Brother," Lu Xingchen approached stiffly, whispering: "I'm not interested in your Twelve Star Lords or Four Heavenly Kings—but this duel…"

"Lu Tian Shen, please compete."

Lin Xian had already guessed his intent: "And please, show off as wildly as you can. Better yet—make him want to fight you personally."

Fire ability is rare, but Lin Xian wasn't worried about Fire Brother exposing himself—this convoy claimed to recruit survivors, so any ability could appear.

Meanwhile, the scene had boiled over. Thousands lined up before the "Infinite · Silver Star" recruitment station, more joining every second. Kiki and Fire Brother slipped in unnoticed.

Gasps erupted as experts with ability peaks over 3000 began appearing in the registration line—their displayed numbers triggering waves of astonishment.

"Whoa, 3380! With a 1. multiplier, that's 5000—Destruction Level! And it's a powerful demonic bone ability!"

"Hey, isn't that Li Heyan, third squad leader of the Yellowjacket Convoy? With his magnetic storm ability at 6200 maximum coefficient—he's here too?"

"Peak over 1000: go to Zone B. Over 3000: direct entry to Zone A," shouted the brightly dressed recruitment officer, maintaining order.

Zone A was a separate seated area, clearly reserved for contenders for the Twelve Star Lords and Four Heavenly Kings. Dozens of women in qipaos served tea.

At that moment, a sharp-faced young man stepped onto the stage—apparently Qin Feng's subordinate. He addressed the crowd: "Ability attacks are devastating—minor injuries, or death. I know you all kill anomalies with full force daily, but here, combat is restricted to the platform. I'll be the referee."

As he spoke, the massive circular platform rose ten meters like an elevator. The drones' holographic screens switched to a leaderboard—ranking participants by ability peak, listing only sixteen slots. The top four were clearly the Four Heavenly Kings; the next twelve, the Twelve Star Lords.

As more registered, names shifted constantly—people dropped off the bottom, replaced by newcomers.

Qin Feng sat calmly in a chair before the Silver Star, watching the changes with ease.

"Lin Xian!"

Suddenly, Kiki's voice crackled over the comm: "That guy—I know him! He's Wen Hui's son! His name is Li Jian!!"

Lin Xian's gaze snapped to the unruly youth. "You're sure?"

"Of course. I don't mistake people. That guy's a pain."

"I understand," Lin Xian narrowed his eyes. He now confirmed: Qin Feng was allied with the Wen family. That explained the Federation's backing. After Jian Xuwēi seized the Skytrain in Jinhai, the Wens had new plans.

"To ensure safety and prevent collateral damage, anyone leaving the platform is disqualified," Li Jian said, his face stern, eyes gleaming with excitement and pride—as if experienced. He detailed the duel rules: permitted weapons, powered armor, forbidden items—making the recruitment duel feel increasingly professional.

"Huh, he's got experience. Looks like these duels are common in Dawn City," Qian Dele remarked.

Jiang Yun added: "Ability duels, ability research—there are many groups in Dawn City. Underground arenas. People are obsessed now. It's normal."

Lin Xian looked up at the sixteen-slot leaderboard. Initially, only three or four exceeded 2000 peak; most were around 1000—yet with their maximum coefficients, many likely surpassed the 3000 Destruction Level threshold.

But as more registered, peaks of 3000, even 3500, appeared. The leaderboard deliberately avoided the Phoenix Society's maximum coefficient system, adding ambiguity—because raw peak alone doesn't define strength. Maximum coefficient, experience, and ability type all drastically alter combat potential.

"Whoa, another 3000!"

"No way—that's Wu Bin, #12 on the Human Evolution Light rankings? He's here?!"

"Impressive. His peak is 4800—add his maximum coefficient, that's 7680—and he's only a B-Class demonic form ability."

"Several convoys contacted him these past days… and he showed up here?"

Lin Xian, looking down at the underground passage, looked up at the crowd's murmurs—and saw a lone, long-haired man with a cold expression walk into Qin Feng's private rest zone.

On the platform, Li Jian saw this, smiled, and whispered into his earpiece:

"More experts are coming in. Now it's getting interesting."

"Not enough. Many are still watching. Li Jian, use some tactics," came a middle-aged man's voice through the earpiece.

Li Jian took a deep breath. "Understood."

He scanned the leaderboard, locked onto the rest zone, and announced loudly: "The rankings have shifted multiple times. Please, recruitment officers, escort those who've fallen off the list to other seating areas. Rest assured—any Iron or Rampage Grade will receive excellent treatment from the Infinite Alliance. But these sixteen spots must be earned through strength. You've fought the night long—you all understand: a convoy survives only with powerful leaders facing danger head-on."

His words sounded noble, but they humiliated those who'd entered Zone A only to be knocked off. One burly, bald man exploded in anger, leaping onto a dead tree, then vaulting onto the platform. "Fine! If no one else will, I'll go first. Everyone here knows me—I'm Kong Hao, leader of the Giant City Convoy. I brought twenty elite fighters and over a hundred Iron Grades. I'm here to claim one of those Twelve… whatever titles. No more talk. I'll start from the bottom of the list. If you're too scared to step up, I'll take the gatekeeper spot. Right, referee?"

Li Jian nodded, smiling. "Correct."

"Good. Then this one…" The giant turned to the leaderboard, spotted the name at #16—Pei Jinghong—and shouted: "Hey, Brother Pei! You're used to killing zombies and anomalies, right? Let's have a simple sparring match. Don't worry—I'll try not to hurt you!"

All eyes turned to Zone A. A short young man rose, face grim. He clearly had no experience in human duels—but showed no fear. He activated his powered armor and leapt onto the platform.

For anyone above Rampage Level, even without flight or armor assistance, scaling ten meters was effortless.

"My ability has high lethality. Be careful," Pei Jinghong said politely, adding: "I'm a demonic bone ability user."

Seeing his goal achieved, Li Jian stepped back. "Begin. No lethal strikes. Only force your opponent out of the ring."

The air grew heavy. Tens of thousands watched—including the live stream on Dawn City's internal network—as the public ability duel began.

Boom!

Instantly, two strangers unleashed violent ability surges and clashed. But instead of the expected knockback, Pei Jinghong's fingers shot out razor-sharp energy bone spikes, tearing half of Kong Hao's left arm apart—blood sprayed.

Kong Hao merely grunted, spun, and smashed a punch with crushing force—his body wreathed in bloody mist, terrifying to behold.

The crowd gasped. Shi Zhi frowned, instinctively wanting to heal—but knew she couldn't act. Yueyue Zhenji had ordered her to stay close and assist Lin Xian. Then she realized: where was Lin Xian?

She looked around frantically, then down—and saw him crouched on the ground, poking at dirt with his finger.

"What are you doing?"

She crouched beside him, whispering.

"Digging." Lin Xian replied flatly.

He had no interest in the duel. He wanted to use his mechanical ability to build a small drill while everyone's attention was on the platform. He drilled two meters down—then the tip clinked against metal.

"Found it."

His fingertips released several tiny black spider robots, which scurried into the hole—machines he'd reverse-engineered from Wen Dong's gear when he'd captured him in Silent City, now repurposed for infiltration.

Soon, the spider robot slipped through a crack in the underground lift shaft, and the feed opened to reveal a massive vertical launch shaft before Lin Xian; faint lights flickered downward, vanishing into darkness.

"So big… what's down there?" As Lin Xian pondered, he synced the feed to Zhou Jin.

Zhou Jin was currently monitoring Qin Feng's every move with his team; seeing Lin Xian's feed, he immediately replied: "Federal military Class-B lift shaft—used for aircraft takeoff and landing. This is at least a Stingray-class scale, capable of handling all kinds of aerospace fighters and bombers."

"Qin Feng and Li Jian came out from here—this must connect to the inner city."

"Very likely. It might even link directly to the underground city and the starport," Zhou Jin understood Lin Xian's implication. "But scouting this route is nearly impossible without being detected—unless you're a special ability user."

Lin Xian raised an eyebrow slightly: "Funny—I'm that special one."

Zhou Jin said: "Lin Captain, you're planning to go in?"

"Not yet. Let's get the full picture on Qin Feng first. Li Jian is Wen Hui's son—we'll follow him and find Wen Hui's whole family."

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Unexpectedly, Pei Jinghong, ranked higher than Kong Hao, launched an aggressive assault at first—but was quickly knocked off the platform by Kong Hao. Many observers noted this didn't prove Kong Hao was stronger; rather, Pei Jinghong, being young, lacked absolute ruthlessness. Their ability indices might be nearly equal, but in a nighttime life-or-death fight, the outcome would be uncertain.

But Qin Feng and Li Jian clearly wanted this effect. After the first match ended, several capable fighters saw the pattern and gained confidence, beginning to openly challenge the platform.

Soon, duels erupted nonstop on the platform; various ability users displayed bizarre powers: grotesque proliferation, limb mimicry, giants, beast forms, blood aura, water manipulation, metallic skin, demonic forms, earth and stone, evil bones, strange eyes, flight, energy concentration, invisibility—endless variety. There was no absolute strength, since some abilities inherently countered others, and combat experience gave clear advantages to agile, close-combat types like giants, beast forms, and blood aura users. Then came a powerful genetic evolutionist—like a flesh-and-blood superhuman—who knocked a metallic-skin user off the platform with three punches and two kicks, leaving the crowd stunned.

"Whoa, the line for recruitment is getting longer."

"Damn, even a 5000 Combatant's here? Isn't he from the Dawn Watchers Alliance?"

"Are these people really joining the Infinite Fleet—or just here to fight for fun?"

On the leaderboard, Wu Bin, previously ranked first, suddenly dropped to second. A bald man in a mechanical battle armor strolled calmly into the rest zone.

At this moment, many turned their gaze toward the big fleet camp, focusing on Lin Qingyu.

"Lin Captain, sending Combatant here isn't just wrecking the place?" Luo Heng sneered.

"What's wrong with that? Qin Feng's holding a tournament—I let my people train a bit. What's the issue?" Lin Qingyu smiled. He'd deliberately sent Combatant.

He turned to Jiang Yun, who had just sat down: "Jiang Captain, you're here to join the party too?"

"No, I'm here to recruit."

"Recruit?" Lei Zhen looked baffled: "Your Windwalkers Alliance has over sixty thousand members—never seen you publicly recruit before."

"Things are different now," Jiang Yun said. "Our alliance merged with the Infinite Fleet."

At this, over a dozen fleet leaders turned their attention.

"The Infinite Fleet? Merge sixty thousand people?" Lin Qingyu frowned. "Which fleet's got this much clout?"

Jiang Yun shrugged: "Funny thing—it's also called the Infinite Alliance. But its captain isn't this one."

Lin Qingyu's expression changed slightly: "Lin Xian?!"

Jiang Yun nodded.

Fat Han Tiege of the Full Metal Frenzy widened his eyes and let out a strange laugh: "Huh? When did this Lin Captain even get into the city?"

Jiang Yun replied: "He didn't. My captain just told me to come check this Infinite Train recruitment out."

"Hah! He sent you to inspect the goods—to see which idiot dares steal his fleet's name!" Lei Zhen burst out laughing. "This is great. I've heard rumors—I've always wanted to see this mechanical ability user in person."

Luo Heng of the Windwhisperers nodded too, saying to Jiang Yun: "Jiang Captain, since you're working with Lin Captain, you've seen mechanical ability firsthand—aren't you going to test Qin Feng too?"

Jiang Yun pondered: "No need for me to test him…"

Xu Yufei of the Steel Bastion, overhearing their conversation, looked uneasy. He wanted to ask Jiang Yun about it—but now wasn't the right moment, so he stayed silent.

Though they'd already reached a cooperation agreement, Xu Yufei had promised Qin Feng he'd publicly support him to secure the partnership with one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

The situation among the big fleets in the city was mostly known: those on the Evolution Light leaderboard were either high-ranking fleet captains, already in the Seraphim Division, or had left Shuguang City. Less than half of the top ten still remained in the city. Xu Yufei, ranked in the top ten, higher than Jiang Yun, felt no pressure.

But now, watching the duels, he didn't rush in—he wanted to observe more.

All the big fleets were here for entertainment. Some even held hostility toward Qin Feng's fleet due to its obvious ties to the Federation.

As the fleet leaders each nursed their own thoughts, a thunderous roar erupted from the plaza.

"5300?! Who is this guy? I've never seen him on the Evolution Light leaderboard!"

"Holy shit! Hidden master!"

"Even with a limit coefficient of only 1. , that's over 8000 peak value!!"

The crowd's shouts drew attention from the rest zone, and from Li Jian and Qin Feng. Qin Feng stood up, levitating into the air, his gaze fixed on the recruitment booth.

The recruitment officer, pale with fear, stared at the sharp-featured, aura-dominant young man before him. After double-checking multiple times, he confirmed the man wasn't on the Evolution Light leaderboard. He nervously asked:

"Sir… what's your name? And… what's your ability type?"

"I am Lu Xingchen."

Lu Xingchen, face haughty, one hand behind his back, slowly raised a single finger. Puff—a crimson flame shot skyward.

"Heavenly Flame type!"

Whoosh!

The crowd of tens of thousands erupted. Natural fire ability—absolute peak-tier power, the dream of countless people. Seeing such a figure, everyone pulled out their mobile terminals, recording and uploading to the internal network.

Instantly, the name Lu Xingchen, the Heavenly Flame ability user, spread rapidly across the internal network.

On the platform, Li Jian's eyes gleamed. He muttered: "Fire type—damn, I'm jealous. If only I had this power."

"Quick, please escort him to Zone A!" The recruitment officer's eyes sparkled. He signaled his team to respectfully guide Lu Xingchen inside.

Lu Xingchen clearly loved this spotlight—he'd already built up his aura to the max. Had Lin Xian not demanded restraint, he'd have walked on flames, descending like a god.

But maybe later he'd get a chance. Lu Xingchen glanced at the platform, thinking: the weather, the light, the angle—what move would be most dazzling?

The atmosphere grew electric. With this man's arrival, even the fleet leaders sensed the recruitment event might far exceed expectations. Xu Yufei, meanwhile, exhaled slightly—more experts meant a greater chance the Infinite Fleet could form.

Just after the officer nervously ushered Lu Xingchen in, a masked purple-haired girl walked up from the back of the line and slammed a registration card onto the table.

"Hey, I'm signing up."

The officer glanced at the slender girl, pointed to the Soulwave Peak Tester beside him.

"Measure your peak value."

Beep.

Test complete.

Hiss!

Before the officer could sit, the surrounding crowd's sharp intakes of breath froze him in place. He looked up—the Soulwave Peak Tester displayed: 4800.

4800? A girl?

"Holy shit! First a 5300, now a 4800?!"

"Another one not on the Evolution Light leaderboard…"

"Shuguang City really hides dragons and tigers."

"Must be the Infinite Fleet's benefits—drawing out all the hidden experts."

Qin Feng and Li Jian, seeing another 5300 and now a 4800, both brightened.

Their eyes met. They nodded, satisfied.

"Uncle, the results are better than expected. Experts are coming—our team's growing!" Li Jian whispered.

"Don't get cocky. How many come is one thing—how many stay is what matters." The voice in his earpiece was Wen Dong, watching dozens of surveillance screens in a subterranean hall, his expression grim.

At that moment, dozens of cameras focused on the purple-haired girl in line.

The officer, stunned, quickly recorded on his mobile terminal.

"Miss… what's your name? And… what's your ability type?"

"I'm Chen Sixuan."

Kiki, behind her mask, smiled with narrowed eyes, her eyes curving like crescents.

"Mechanical ability."

As she spoke, she crossed her arms, levitating slowly like Qin Feng—hair stirring without wind, serene and divine, like a miracle.

The entire crowd fell silent.

Qin Feng, still hovering in the air, heard this—and his smug smile slowly froze.

(End of Chapter)