Golden Bell Shield

The chase spanned several kilometers, and Chen Fengyun drew ever closer, now only a few meters behind the bicycle. The thief’s legs had finally given out; he could no longer continue. At that moment, the thief abruptly stopped, abandoned the bike, and sat down to catch his breath. Two young men approached from nearby, stepping in front of him and glaring menacingly at Chen Fengyun without uttering a word.

“Return my bicycle, and you can take him away,” Chen Fengyun instantly understood that these two were accomplices of the thief. This racing bike was a precious gift from his father, who had quit smoking for two years to buy it for him before he entered high school, so he frowned and addressed the pair.

“Kid, you’re pretty fast—can’t even outrun you with a racing bike,” one of the youths said, his eyes unfriendly.

“You scared our brother. Let him have the bike as compensation,” the other, a blond youth, said as he slipped his hand into his pocket and gripped something tightly.

Chen Fengyun immediately sensed it was a switchblade, but he did not retreat; instead, he glared coldly at them. “Hmph, in broad daylight, you’re not just thieves—you’re committing robbery now.”

“Bro, this kid chased me so hard, my legs won’t move anymore. Help me teach him a lesson,” the thief, still gasping for air on the ground, called out.

“They’re about to make a move. Better upgrade Iron Bell Shield to the third tier first,” Chen Fengyun saw the flicker in their eyes and knew trouble was imminent. He quickly upgraded Iron Bell Shield to Mortal Level, Tier Three, consuming two attribute points.

“One point left, let’s boost my mental strength. Sharper senses could be useful.” He swiftly used the last attribute point to raise his mental power to Mortal Level, Tier Three. After upgrading Iron Bell Shield, the enhancement option for cultivation had dimmed, leaving him only the mental strength to improve.

Chen Fengyun’s cultivation attributes now read as follows:

Spiritual Root: Mortal Level, Tier Ten
Mental Power: Mortal Level, Tier Three
Cultivation: Qi Refining, Layer Two
Techniques: Nourishing Qi Formula (Mortal Level, Tier Three), Iron Bell Shield (Mortal Level, Tier Three)
Skills: None
Magical Artifacts: None
Attribute Points: None

After the upgrades, the three newly acquired attribute points were gone, but now Chen Fengyun could activate the Iron Bell Shield for thirty seconds, and use it intermittently, granting him a measure of security against these two youths.

With his mental power now at Mortal Level, Tier Three, Chen Fengyun found his senses sharper than ever. He could clearly perceive subtle changes in the bodies of the two men before him, and even sense the presence of spiritual energy in the world—though it was far too faint and scarce to sustain a cultivator’s practice.

Suddenly, the blond youth lashed out with a kick aimed at Chen Fengyun’s chest, while the other circled to the side, swinging a punch at Chen Fengyun’s right cheek.

“Get lost,” Chen Fengyun’s heightened senses made their movements seem sluggish; he sidestepped the kick, countered with a kick of his own, dodged the punch, and collided with the second youth, his right elbow slamming hard into the opponent’s chest.

A dull thud echoed as Chen Fengyun’s kick struck the blond’s knee, eliciting a grimace of pain. At the same time, his elbow forced the other youth stumbling back several steps, groaning in agony.

Despite the counterattack, the two were evidently seasoned street fighters. Ignoring their pain, they pressed forward—especially the blond, whose right hand now brandished a switchblade glinting coldly in the sunlight.

“You’re courting death,” Chen Fengyun sensed murderous intent in the blond’s eyes; this man was ruthless, likely experienced in violence. His expression darkened as he spoke in a low voice.

Instead of dodging the switchblade, Chen Fengyun charged directly, instantly activating the Iron Bell Shield. An invisible, bell-shaped barrier enveloped him; the blade bounced harmlessly off its surface, and he crashed into the blond youth, sending him flying.

Chen Fengyun lunged forward, seized the blond’s wrist, and twisted it mercilessly. The youth screamed in agony, and the switchblade clattered to the ground. With a shove, Chen Fengyun sent him sprawling onto the thief, while the other youth, about to advance, froze in terror at the sight.

At that moment, the wail of police sirens pierced the air. Two patrol motorcycles sped over and stopped beside them; four officers dismounted, surrounding the group.

“Who reported the bike theft just now?” one officer, removing her helmet, revealed herself to be a young policewoman. She addressed the group.

“Officer, that’s my bicycle. I parked it at San Dao Wan, and he stole it. I chased him here and met his two accomplices—they tried to rob me. Here’s their switchblade,” Chen Fengyun said loudly.

“Yes, it’s them—committing armed robbery in broad daylight! They must be locked up!”

“That’s right, they’re outrageous. Failing to steal the bike, they tried to rob him—no respect for the law!”

“Officer, we can testify. The bike belongs to this young man, and he knocked down the thief’s two accomplices.”

The surrounding crowd began to clamor, and the officers quickly pieced together the situation. Soon, a police car arrived for backup, and the three youths were handcuffed and taken away.

“Chen Fengyun, you’ll need to come with us to make a statement,” the young policewoman said.

“Officer, where should I go? Can I follow on my bike?” Chen Fengyun nodded.

An hour later, he finished his statement at Jinjiang Police Station, where the young policewoman, responsible for the inquiry, introduced herself as Zhong Lingling, a recent police academy graduate and officer at Jinjiang.

“Next time, call the police first. Some of these thugs are vicious—if you’re in danger, things could go very badly,” Zhong Lingling advised him as they left the station.

“Thank you, Officer Zhong. I’ll be more careful in the future, though I certainly hope I don’t run into such trouble again.” Chen Fengyun nodded and headed home.

“Lingling, come look—do you think this kid’s trained in martial arts? He’s not only fast, but his moves are impressive,” a colleague called as Zhong Lingling returned to the office.

She hurried over to watch two video clips from Jinjiang Road: the first showed Chen Fengyun parking his bike and chasing the thief; the second captured his confrontation with the thief’s accomplices.

“Who would have thought—a high school senior with such speed? Even Olympic champions might not outrun him. He chased for six or seven miles and didn’t seem the least bit exhausted. Look how calm he is facing the two accomplices, especially when the blond wields the switchblade—his movements are lightning-fast. He’s a real expert.”

As Zhong Lingling watched, she listened to her colleague’s amazement and felt that Chen Fengyun was truly extraordinary—a scholarly-looking student, yet unexpectedly formidable.

Back home, Chen Fengyun chose not to mention the day’s events, not wanting to worry his parents. The following days were spent celebrating the New Year, sharing reunion meals, and visiting relatives.