The following afternoon, greeters from the Craverdy family arrived at the hotel. Chen Chuan stepped into the car they had provided and set off for their meeting place.
Fifteen minutes later, the motorcade arrived at the agreed-upon destination. Ryan showed him great respect by personally waiting there to receive him. At his side stood only a few family members and a handful of attendants, making it clear that this was a very private invitation.
In the Federation, however, cities were governed by individual families, and private exchanges between prominent family representatives often decided political matters.
Chen Chuan stepped out of the vehicle and glanced upward. At either end of the plaza stood black, rib-like arched frames topped with helical roods. The meeting place arranged between the two sides was none other than the Weiya Blockade Hall.
The most heinous criminals, remnants of the old era, and entities captured from the other side were mostly imprisoned here.
Ryan walked over and took the initiative to shake his hand, smiling as he spoke in standard Great Shun speech. "Hello, Mr. Chen. Thank you for accepting my invitation. It is truly a pleasure to meet you."
Chen Chuan replied, "A pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Craverdy. I didn't expect you to arrange our meeting here."
Ryan said, "You may call me Ryan, Mr. Chen." He smiled and added, "Since arriving in our Center City, you haven't toured the Blockade Hall yet, have you? This place has the finest security in Weiya. Many private talks and banquets are hosted here, and our conversation today is quite suited to this setting as well."
Chen Chuan nodded. "I shall defer to the host."
Ryan turned slightly and gestured invitingly. "Please, allow me to show you around first, Mr. Chen."
Chen Chuan walked in alongside him. Two women dressed like secretaries followed behind with identical, rhythmic steps, their high heels clicking crisply against the stone floor.
Ryan remarked, "Pay them no mind. Those are dolls I custom-ordered from Progenitor Company. They have no thoughts of their own; they merely serve to relay orders and interface with information platforms. You can think of them as boundary credentials and tools."
Chen Chuan had noticed right away that their interiors were packed with special artificial mutated tissue, so they were not just communication tools, but also served combat and security functions.
He had also realized that ever since arriving in the Federation, the influence and traces of Progenitor Company were everywhere, its products permeating every level of society.
The fact that Weiya Center City utilized so many products from Progenitor Company was ample proof of its excellent relationship with the firm.
Visitors came to tour the Blockade Hall every day, but they took a dedicated internal passageway.
The two walked along an avenue of black glass bricks into the main hall. Security personnel flanking both sides wore matching black-and-silver uniforms and protective goggles, standing motionless, stern and efficient.
In the very center of the hall stood a six-meter-tall sculpture composed of books, claws, swords, and shields bound together by silver luminescent strands.
This sculpture was named "Hunt of Chaos." It was the emblem of the Blockade Hall, declaring its stance and responsibility in resisting incursions from the world on the other side.
The lighting here was unusual as well. Rather than ordinary lamps, glowing chain-like strands hung overhead, covered in elaborate, intricate dark-gold patterns that resembled the binding links used in ancient royal rituals.
Chen Chuan took a look and surmised that this was likely part of a grand ritual.
Ryan said, "Mr. Chen, to ensure the security of the Blockade Hall, we have made tireless efforts over the years. In the past, we relied on ritual specialists to maintain the seals. Now, with advances in technology, not only do those experts participate, but we have also incorporated verification by active conscious entities.
"Every crucial ritual layout is monitored and verified by active conscious entities, and replaced once every year."
Chen Chuan remarked, "That must come at an immense cost." It went without saying that the ritual materials capable of sealing such individuals and entities were exceedingly expensive, not to mention the precautions required to maintain security during replacements. The expenditure was easy to imagine.
"Yet it is well worth it," Ryan replied with a smile. "In truth, according to the detailed calculations of the active conscious entities, recalibrating every three months would be ideal, but for now that has not proven necessary."
As they spoke, a receptionist approached. One of the dolls standing behind Ryan stepped forward to exchange information.
Then the doll returned and gave a nod to both of them.
Faint flickers of light shone by Ryan's ears and in his eyes. He said, "The security pass has been issued. Mr. Chen, come tour the area with me."
Leading the way through the antechamber, the two entered the first grand hall. Chen Chuan saw that the walls on both sides resembled thick crystal, tinged with a faint golden hue.
Vaguely visible within were bizarre creatures sealed away, all of immense size. Judging from the grotesque limbs pressed near the walls, their overall forms were exceptionally strange and ferocious. And though they appeared frozen motionless at the moment, they clearly retained a measure of vitality.
Which meant these things were alive.
"This is the Amber Hall,"
Ryan introduced. "These are Level 3 hazardous creatures at the very least. Some were excavated from deep beneath the Melded Lands, while others underwent special sealing procedures after capture, and are now kept here together.
"Since they are kept in a perpetual slumber, they not only serve as exhibition pieces but also supply biological energy to the rituals. Do not underestimate them, however; being trans-limit creatures, each one possesses the power to destroy an entire city."
Chen Chuan studied them. Trans-limit creatures were equivalent to martial artists. If one reached Level 2, it was extraordinary—capable of matching at least a martial artist of the Longevity View, and the stronger ones could even contend against those of the Mystic Profundity View.
Ryan's emphasis on this point was likely a subtle display of the power backing the Blockade Hall: even creatures like these could only serve as background decor here.
At this point, one of the dolls from behind stepped up and began introducing the characteristics and eras of these creatures. Around them, crystal display cases held limbs and mutated tissues severed from these ancient beasts.
Notably, these items were available for sale. Any country or organization interested could purchase them through designated channels, and whether they were used for research or surgical implantation and modification, no questions would be asked.
After touring for a while, the two departed and walked toward the Roamer Promenade. This entire corridor was constructed from the esophagus of a creature from the Melded Lands, its surroundings consisting of thick, heavily folded walls of flesh.
Chen Chuan could sense that it still brimmed with vitality, and tiny crustacean-like parasites clung all over it.
Ryan said, "This is the esophagus of a Slo beast, the sole passage connecting to the interior. If an emergency arises, it can secrete vast quantities of highly corrosive mucus within half a minute, completely sealing off the entrance and exit."
He gestured upward. "And these parasites, though seemingly harmless, effectively suppress the esophagus's vitality."
He smiled. "You see, Mr. Chen, some entities may be exceedingly powerful, yet with modest, low-cost methods, we can restrain and control them, bending them to our use. While this represents the power of intellect, it must first align with the laws of nature.
"With certain matters, we need not resort to blunt confrontation. Doing so incurs heavy costs and risks being crushed by overwhelming force. Taking a circuitous route often achieves the objective just as well—if not far more effectively."
Chen Chuan sensed a deeper meaning behind his words. He glanced at Ryan, whose face wore an ambiguous smile, and said, "Mr. Craverdy, I heard this facility offers a service allowing dialogue with the imprisoned felons?"
Ryan chuckled. "Interested, Mr. Chen? Certainly, I can arrange that for you. Which one would you like to speak with?
"Oh, could it be His Majesty Emperor Cleopatris?
"If so, I must give you a word of caution beforehand. Ever since that emperor was imprisoned here, far too many people have sought him out. Being the most renowned, almost everyone who comes here tries to exchange a few words with him.
"And the emperor has shown immense patience, thoroughly satisfying the curiosity of every visitor. What's more, he devised a peculiar phonetic delivery and cadence, such that merely by speaking, he can lower people's guard and turn them into fervent admirers. In the end, a casual visit becomes an audience.
"Examinations have confirmed that he uses no mental power during this process. Bound down below, there is no chance of mental power leaking anyway. He relies purely on verbal suggestion, subtle guidance, and sheer personal charisma to captivate his visitors. So, Mr. Chen, if you intend to see him, you must be careful."
Chen Chuan shook his head. "He is not the one I wish to speak with."
A so-called emperor was merely a remnant of the old era. Stripped of that status, he was nothing more than a martial artist at the level of the Mystic Profundity View—someone Chen Chuan was hardly unfamiliar with.
Moreover, while a simple conversation might be novel to ordinary people, it was meaningless to him, nor did he have any interest in listening to bewitching ravings.
Ryan looked intrigued. "Then who might Mr. Chen wish to see?"
Chen Chuan looked at him. "I heard that the Blockade Hall also holds an entity from the other side?"
Ryan replied unequivocally, "Yes, indeed we do."
He glanced at Chen Chuan in surprise. "Mr. Chen wishes to communicate with that entity? That is bold indeed... To be frank, since that being was imprisoned here, no one has ever attempted to converse with It, for virtually no one can endure the mental contamination emanating from It."
Chen Chuan said earnestly, "I have dealt with quite a few such things, but I have never spoken with one. I am curious what goes through their minds. Since there is one here, I thought I might take the opportunity to ask."
Chapter 1116