In just a moment, Chen Chuan was completely encased within the external implant. He could feel it contracting naturally, quickly molding itself to his body.
He noticed an overgarment hanging on the side wall of the crate, meant to be draped over the outside. Since there was no need for it right now, he left it where it was. Stepping backward out of the crate, he gave his arms a trial stretch.
Though it resembled a suit of full armor, it was in truth merely a thin layer. It felt light and nimble, offering no hindrance to his movement. Inside, he felt not the slightest stuffiness, and could even sense the ambient airflow and temperature through it.
Normally, armor like this would be paired with a dedicated weapon, but with the Xuejun Saber, he had no need for one, nor was he accustomed to wielding anything else.
Generally speaking, an external implant was still an implant. To achieve maximum efficiency, one often had to integrate internal implants to coordinate the interior and exterior.
Yet this suit was different. It seemed to adjust spontaneously by sensing his field, and he could even feel it assisting him with a degree of external respiration.
With a shift of his intent, a radiant platinum glow surged across his body in an instant, and the fire of spirituality spread effortlessly over the surface of the external implant without the slightest strain.
Looking over his body, he nodded. Although the implant was composed of living tissue, because it was fully bonded to him, it offered no spontaneous resistance; instead, it accommodated and adapted to him as much as possible. Having only just put it on, there were still parts that had not completely settled in, but with more use and synchronization, it would operate with ever-greater fluidity and ease.
With this, he gained an extra layer of protection. Moreover, while his previous uniforms were specially crafted to withstand his force, they remained relatively fragile in reality, typically suffering severe wear and tear after just one or two intense battles.
Although biological-fabric clothing could self-repair, that was merely superficial. Delicate internal structures could never fully mend, making them unfit to endure high-intensity combat a second time. Consequently, after each major battle, he essentially had to replace his suit.
With the aid of this implant, however, things were different. He could sense that its regenerative capacity far outstripped any tailored clothing, bearing a resemblance to the adherent aberrant armor once worn by the old imperial court.
Furthermore, it came with its own reception capability for boundary credentials. Lines of data and text now flashed across his visor; with a mere confirmation, he could seamlessly transfer the stored data from his boundary credential over.
At the same time, according to the briefing displayed on the visor, the hooded headpiece was not just for protection and aesthetics. It was actually a miniature active conscious entity that could assist him in charting routes and analyzing terrain even without external network access, sensing local environmental conditions, weather, and more.
Walking over to the side, he drew the Xuejun Saber from its rack. He immediately ran through a sequence of saber forms, followed by Proper Sanshou, and then tested the two great postures. None met with any hindrance; his movements flowed seamlessly, and the suit subtly adapted with every motion.
He was quite satisfied. The suit was remarkably practical. If there was a single drawback, it was that donning it might not be convenient on the fly, requiring him to keep it close at hand. Compared to the functionality and protection it offered, however, that was merely a minor blemish.
As for whether the higher-ups might harvest his physiological data through this implant, one could only say the possibility could not be ruled out.
In Jibei Dao, it was fine—he was among those with high-level clearance—but once in another central city and linked to a large local field creature, data transmission was indeed possible.
Yet that would only capture ordinary baseline data. When a martial artist entered true combat, they invariably channeled their fire of spirituality. Once the fire of spirituality flared, it severed all field transmissions, rendering routine activity data virtually useless.
Storing the suit away was also relatively simple. Aside from manual internal controls, the easiest method was via one's own field.
Stepping back into the crate, he nudged his intent slightly. As his biological field receded, the suit sensed the shift and slowly expanded, peeling away from the surface of his body.
Chen Chuan stepped free of the external implant and stood in place. Looking at it once more, he saw that while it had originally stood around two point three or four meters tall, it had now contracted to closely match his own build.
He considered the matter. The Affairs Department had likely bestowed this suit upon him in recognition of his past merits and in view of his upcoming participation in the delegation.
External implants for ordinary fighters and those crafted for martial artists were entirely different beasts. By his estimate, the cost of this single suit was roughly enough to construct a limit-breaking active conscious entity.
He mused to himself that if the opportunity arose in the future, he might even procure a suit for Chaoming. That would not only boost its defenses, but also facilitate communication between them.
After sealing the crate back up and tidying the room, he walked out.
Having inspected everything he needed to see for now, he began preparing his travel supplies.
Even as a martial artist of the Longevity View realm who could draw energy directly from the world on the other side to sustain himself, consuming foodstuffs for daily nourishment allowed surplus energy to be hoarded, so supplies were still necessary.
These would naturally be provided by the Government Affairs Hall.
Yet cultivation resources remained the most vital factor. He was currently awaiting word from Mr. Zhuan, which should arrive in the coming days.
In addition, he needed to finalize the roster of accompanying personnel for the diplomatic trip. He intended to bring along anyone from his own team who wished to go.
After all, he had many matters to investigate on this mission. As a martial artist, he drew far too much attention wherever he went, making many tasks awkward to handle personally; it was better to delegate them to others.
Come evening, he headed down into the underground training ground. Wei Chang'an, Luo Kaiyuan, Feng Xiaoqi, and the others spent time training here every night.
After being dragged here once by Wu Han, Wei Dong had also joined the nightly training. Field resources at the academy were limited each day, whereas here he could draw upon Mu's resources without limit.
He had nearly completed his coursework at Wuyi. Prior to official graduation, he had neither chosen to join the Fusion Boundary Company nor enlisted with the Disposal Bureau.
For now, he and Wu Han continued taking on various commissioned tasks together. Their squad enjoyed considerable renown within the central city; because both were daring, relentless fighters, many teams were eager to partner with them.
Though public order had improved, a sprawling central city was never completely devoid of trouble. In particular, the Skyline had only just expanded over the surrounding fringe cities, where countless issues lingered much as they once had in Yangzhi City. Commissions abounded there, and with airship services now connecting the fringe cities to the central city, travel between them was quite convenient.
When Chen Chuan arrived, the group's training was nearing its end, so he sat down nearby.
Once everyone had stepped out of the field and paused to drink water, he said, "As I mentioned to you before, I'll be traveling to the Linakes Federation on a diplomatic visit next month, and I'll likely be there for quite some time. I have quite a few slots for accompanying personnel. If you'd like to go, we can go together. I'll make the arrangements."
Wei Chang'an and the others had already been notified earlier, and they were naturally eager. Fighters traveling abroad had to navigate a labyrinth of tedious approval procedures, and as members of the Disposal Bureau, their entanglements were even more complex. This might well be their only chance in a lifetime to go abroad, and none of them wanted to miss it.
Wu Han had been busy with a commission and had not shown up for days. Hearing this now, he grew instantly excited and declared loudly, "Count me in! Of course I'll go! Maybe I can even spar with some foreign fighters! Only problem is, I don't speak a word of the Federation's language..."
Feng Xiaoqi chimed in, "Senior Wu, don't worry. The bureau has translation devices. As long as it's not some obscure rural dialect, it can translate it. They just don't issue them for private use—you have to pay out of pocket."
Chen Chuan said, "You don't need to worry about that. Once you join the delegation, you won't have to pay for any of that equipment—the delegation covers it. What's more, if you come along, your primary cultivation resources will be subsidized, split between our government and the Linakes Federation."
"There's an offer that good?"
Wu Han's eyes lit up, and everyone hearing this for the first time felt their spirits lift.
Even though Chen Chuan made plenty of resources available to them and covered their expenses during missions, the cost of living and expenditures in the central city were by no means low. In particular, their daily cultivation resources and routine medicines had to be purchased on their own dime.
Even though the Disposal Bureau offered internal pricing, their ranks were not high enough to warrant significant discounts. Yet by joining this trip, they would actually receive cultivation support. It was a golden opportunity. Anyone who had felt hesitant before immediately made up their mind.
Seeing that all of them were willing, Chen Chuan nodded. "Then head back and get ready. I'll submit your names right away." He stood up. "Next month, we set out for the Linakes Federation."
Everyone rose and answered in unison.
Chen Chuan smiled faintly, motioned for them to carry on, and turned to walk out. Once back upstairs, he tapped his boundary credential. After a moment, the call connected. Before the other side could speak, he said, "Senior Brother Ren, I'll be going to the Linakes Federation on a diplomatic visit next month. If you're interested in seeing what it's like abroad, you can come with us—I still have slots available."
He listened briefly, then said, "All right, no rush. There's still plenty of time before departure. Just let me know by the end of the month."
He ended the call and pulled up his drafted personnel roster for another look. He did not plan to bring his aunt's family this time.
Since clashing with the Progenitor Company was practically unavoidable, dangerous situations were bound to arise, making it inappropriate to bring family along.
Besides, with Xu Chan in the central city, their safety was assured.
He thought for another moment. Even so, before departing, there was still one person's business that needed settling.
Chapter 1051