High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 317: Chapter 181: Star Dome Domain, Acting as the Bait

Zhao Zheng was already waiting there. Though he hadn’t slept all night, his face showed no trace of fatigue. On the contrary, he was full of vigor, his eyes like polished glass, glinting with an unprecedented sharpness.

The profound aura of his Peak of Great Sun Realm cultivation was unchanged, but deep within it, there now seemed to be a spiritual acuity, a sharpness that could perceive the imperceptible.

”Everyone,” Zhao Zheng’s voice was loud and steady, even carrying a piercing quality it hadn’t possessed before. ”During my cultivation last night, I was fortunate enough to succeed. I have condensed my Primordial Spirit!”

The training hall fell silent for an instant, then erupted in sincere and enthusiastic applause amid murmurs of praise and congratulations.

Everyone understood what this meant—condensing a Primordial Spirit was the most crucial step to entering the Baron Realm!

In an instant, the meeting room was enveloped in immense surprise and jubilation.

”Congratulations, Captain!”

”This is wonderful! Changning City is finally going to have a Baron!”

”The Captain is incredible! I knew you could do it!”

The air filled with a chorus of sincere and fervent congratulations and well-wishes. ℴ

Li Wen stepped forward with a smile and firmly shook Zhao Zheng’s hand. ”Senior Brother Zhao, congratulations! This was only a matter of time, and it’s well-deserved!”

Zhao Zheng looked at his junior brother—the strongest fighter in Changning City—and felt the steady power in his grip. His heart swelled with emotion as he squeezed back firmly.

”Thank you, Junior Brother Li. This step was anything but easy. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

Amid the joyful atmosphere, Zhao Zheng’s tone turned somewhat wistful.

”However, the final step to becoming a Baron—the awakening of the Star Dome Domain—must be completed at the Fire Hall, as it requires the special power found there. I will be departing shortly.”

At his words, the celebratory mood in the room lessened, and everyone’s eyes filled with a deep sense of reluctance.

After years of serving together, the bonds of comrades who had faced life and death side-by-side were deeply ingrained in their hearts.

Becoming a Baron was an honor, but it also meant Zhao Zheng would be leaving the front lines to shoulder heavier, more strategic responsibilities.

The defensive landscape of Changning City would change as well.

But overriding all that was sincere joy and heartfelt blessings.

The rise of every new Baron was a significant reinforcement to the Human Race’s overall line of defense.

”Captain, this is a great thing!”

”That’s right, breaking through to the Baron Realm is what really matters!”

”If we get into trouble later, you have to come back and look out for your old brothers!”

”Take care, Captain!”

Everyone crowded around Zhao Zheng, their words filled with camaraderie and hope for his future.

And so, a simple yet heartwarming farewell took place in the light of dawn.

There was no grand banquet, only the profound camaraderie flowing through their words of blessing.

「Not long after.」

A sleek military aircraft was already waiting on the garrison platform.

Zhao Zheng took one last look at the Changning City garrison he had called home for years and the crowd seeing him off. He gave a firm nod, and without another word, turned resolutely and boarded the aircraft.

The hatch closed and the engines began to hum softly. The aircraft ascended rapidly, transforming into a streak of light as it sped toward the distant Fire Hall, officially beginning Zhao Zheng’s journey to the Baron Realm.

The aircraft carrying Zhao Zheng became a streak of light, quickly disappearing over the horizon as it raced toward the Fire Hall.

However, at almost the same moment he left the bounds of Changning City, the Shadow Organization received precise intelligence: Zhao Zheng had successfully condensed his Primordial Spirit and was on the verge of entering the Baron Realm.

The intelligence arrived at the perfect moment.

A Marquis Level assassin from the Shadow Organization, codenamed ”Viper Fang,” happened to be hiding near the mandatory route to the Fire Hall.

Shadow Organization headquarters acted decisively. An encrypted command was instantly transmitted to Viper Fang’s receiver: Target, Zhao Zheng. Status, near-Baron. Intercept and kill immediately. Prevent him from reaching the Fire Hall!

Upon receiving the mission, a cold, savage grin spread across Viper Fang’s face.

He immediately emerged from his hidden underground bunker, his figure melting silently into a desolate, rugged canyon.

He concealed his aura to the absolute limit, becoming like a lifeless rock as he lay in wait for his prey.

Having meticulously calculated the flight path, he chose the perfect spot for an ambush: a narrow stretch of airspace flanked by towering cliffs, where the aircraft would be forced to slow down to pass through safely.

Before long, Zhao Zheng’s aircraft entered the ambush zone, just as anticipated.

Inside the cockpit, Zhao Zheng seemed to sense an indescribable aura of danger. His brows furrowed slightly, and he subconsciously increased the energy output to the aircraft’s shields.

Just then, a cold and vicious spiritual assault, sharp as a viper’s strike, slammed into the aircraft’s defensive field without warning.

BZZZT— A piercing alarm shrieked through the cockpit as the shield flickered violently, on the verge of collapse.

It was followed by a ghastly green beam of highly condensed energy, which viciously and precisely pierced the most unstable point of the flickering shield.

BOOM!

The aircraft’s rear engine instantly erupted in a ball of fire. Thrown off balance, the entire craft spiraled down toward the desolate canyon below.

Just before it slammed into the ground, the hatch was blasted open by a surge of True Essence. A slightly battered figure shot out from within—it was Zhao Zheng.

The power of his newly condensed and still-unstable Primordial Spirit swirled around him, barely managing to absorb the impact from the explosion and crash.

He landed steadily at the bottom of the canyon amid billowing dust. His robes were torn and stained, but his sharp gaze scanned in the direction of the attack.

A distorted shadow slowly coalesced before him, solidifying into a figure clad head-to-toe in a black, scale-like bodysuit. Only two sinister, vertical pupils were visible, fixed intently on Zhao Zheng.

An aura befitting the Marquis Level washed over the area like a cold, unrestrained tide, locking onto its target with palpable killing intent.

”The Shadow Organization... a Marquis?” Zhao Zheng’s voice was laced with a deliberately crafted rasp of shock and alarm, and a flicker of panic crossed his face right on cue.

Yet, beneath the alarm, the depths of his eyes were as still as a deep pool, betraying no trace of real fear. Instead, it was as if he had expected this all along.