On the morning of the sixth day of travel, Chen Chuan and his party finally entered Arcana State.
The first half of the journey had been entirely smooth, no different from any ordinary trip, but things changed once they reached the second half.
The closer they drew to the Life Plateau, the more frequently bizarre creatures appeared. To either side of the train, the carcasses of birds and giant monstrous insects could be seen from time to time.
These beasts occasionally attacked the train, which was equipped with considerable weaponry and relied on the fields of onboard field creatures to repel or kill them.
At times, the tracks were obstructed by piles of these creatures, forcing the train to halt periodically for clearing operations and delaying the journey considerably.
Chen Chuan did not release his field to drive them away. This was partly marketed as an attraction of the trip, included in the price of the tickets, so he simply let the train's armed personnel handle it.
Yet from these phenomena, it was clear that the Life Plateau truly lived up to its name. The creatures here possessed vigorous vitality, and it was evident their origins traced back to the Melded Lands.
It was midday by the time they stepped off the train. This place could almost be considered the smallest Center City in the entire Federation. Standing atop a thirty-story building in Center City, one could take in the whole city at a glance; its population amounted to a mere two hundred thousand.
However, in addition to having few people, a small city was easier to defend against the "biological hazards" coming from the Life Plateau.
This situation, unique to Arcana State, was propagandized by the Federation as the curse of the First People.
From what Chen Chuan understood, there might indeed be some truth to it.
For Kawatua had once openly admitted that to protect their final heritage, they had performed a grand sacrificial ritual here, sacrificing over ninety percent of their nature spirits to curse the Federation—though the effect had not been particularly noticeable.
The creatures of the Life Plateau, however, had grown far more aggressive toward outsiders ever since.
After staying here for one night, the group rented vehicles and drove toward Kawatua.
The Life Plateau was a land of wonders. Seen as a whole, its outline resembled a stepped terrace descending tier by tier.
At the very bottom lay the vast plains and rolling hills occupied by Arcana Center City, covered in sprawling forests.
Further up was the broad and fertile second tier, while the most enigmatic third tier was Mount Turama, where Kawatua was situated.
Once reaching the edge of the second tier, there were no proper roads leading upward.
Chen Chuan glanced outside from within the car. The edge of this terrace looked as though it had been cleaved by a deity, forming a near-sheer vertical drop from the plain below.
Seen from afar, it seemed like the shadow of an immensely massive wall stretching across the land ahead, exuding an intense sense of oppression that grew all the more palpable as they drew closer.
Such terrain was almost impossible for ordinary people to scale. One had to take hidden paths through gorges and navigate complex caverns. Above, beyond the watch of the First People's Sacred Land Warriors, there were ancient esoteric rituals guarding the way.
Past this path lay the third tier of Mount Turama, guarded not only by large field creatures but also housing an ancient hereditary fissure, home to the Tree of Life revered by all First People.
Yet no matter how treacherous the route and environment, so long as there was no interference from higher-tier powers, none of it mattered before a Cave Mystery View martial artist. It was just that such individuals were largely bound by conventions and agreements, unable to cause reckless destruction in areas outside actual government control.
Although the shadow of the mountain had long been in sight, it still took several hours of driving before they approached it. By then it was already noon. The motorcade gradually came to a halt ahead, and Chen Chuan and his escort team stepped out of the vehicles.
He surveyed his surroundings. The open ground they had driven through was hemmed in on both sides by tall, dense forests, severely restricting visibility.
If any martial artists intended to strike along the way, this was when they ought to appear. If they advanced further and reached the Life Plateau, such opportunities would virtually vanish.
Strictly speaking, attacking them aboard the train would have been the most convenient approach and could have served to delay them.
Yet they were members of a diplomatic delegation after all. Chen Chuan held high rank and considerable international standing, and they were traveling along a Federation-designated route. If something happened midway, the Federation would inevitably be held accountable, and Great Shun would never let the matter rest.
Here on the edge of the Life Plateau, however, blame could easily be shifted onto the First People, perhaps even serving as a pretext to target and wage war against them.
The accompanying protocol officer checked his wristwatch, stepped forward, and said, "Section Chief, the airship hasn't arrived. According to the schedule, it should already be here."
Chen Chuan asked, "Did you send a telegram over there?"
The telegraph operator behind him saluted and said, "Section Chief, I've sent three, one every hour on average, but there has been no response. The signal might be experiencing interference."
The protocol officer could not help asking, "Section Chief, could they have run into trouble?"
Earlier, Vice Delegation Leader Lu had mentioned that opinions within Kawatua were divided and that small-scale armed clashes had already broken out between the grassroots supporters of the two factions. Their last contact had been two days ago. Under such circumstances, it was hard to say whether the internal situation was spiraling out of control.
Chen Chuan considered this. Given the timing and their current circumstances, it was indeed difficult not to suspect something.
After all, advance notice had been given of his arrival. Could certain high-ranking figures in Kawatua have taken drastic action beforehand precisely because of his visit?
It was hard to tell.
He looked up, shifting his gaze toward a certain direction. "The gorge path is over there, isn't it?"
"Yes," the protocol officer replied with certainty. "Last time I accompanied Delegation Leader Xie here, that was the route we took."
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. "You stay here. I'll go take a look ahead."
"Yes, sir!"
Picking up the Xuejun Saber, Chen Chuan walked forward, then sprang into motion, his figure flickering before vanishing completely.
The others waited in place. Yet barely ten minutes after Chen Chuan departed, an illusory silhouette invisible to the naked eye stepped into the motorcade.
He observed everyone present. If anyone could have seen his eyes, they would have found them brimming with pure malice.
For him, anyone here was a target whose body he could invade and possess. Whether they wore protective talismans or gear made no difference to him; at most, it would require a little extra effort.
*This one, then.* His gaze locked onto Wei Dong.
This man was simple-minded and merely a martial artist of the third limit. Crucially, his body was exceptionally resilient, capable of bearing a substantial amount of power.
Naturally, using such a vessel against Chen Chuan was impossible. Once a Visage of the Divine possessed a body, it could bring out various advantages based on that body's specific traits. However, elevating its level required infusing one's own energy and spirit-qi, making a host of equal standing the ideal vessel; otherwise, its power would still have a strict ceiling.
Fortunately, his aim was merely to strike at those beside his target, thereby distracting and disrupting the target's thoughts and mental state. Granted, a seasoned martial artist might not be swayed in the slightest, but who could help it if he simply enjoyed doing this?
Even if it failed, it didn't matter. This was one of the few ways to thoroughly disgust a martial artist of that caliber, and every time he thought of it, a thrill went through him.
Having made up his mind, his faint phantom suddenly dissolved into wisps of vapor, drifting toward Wei Dong on the breeze.
Yet in the very next instant, a brilliance like a blazing sun burst open across the area, instantly exposing his form. His body felt as if it had plunged into a thick, viscous fluid, abruptly seizing up.
Shock coursed through him. Before he could react, a hand suddenly materialized out of thin air and gripped him firmly.
The light flickered, and Chen Chuan stepped out from the void, fixing his deep, tranquil eyes upon him.
The phantom trembled with terror.
*Didn't he already leave? How is he here?!*
Chen Chuan stepped up to the phantom and took a measured look. This was merely a martial artist practicing the Visage of the Divine, at the level of the Longevity View at most. If they expected someone like this to take him on, they were severely underestimating him.
If word of this got out, how much face would Derian Crossal lose?
Then again, it was possible more than one person had come.
If this person was merely a pawn sent to probe him while the true culprit sought an opening, that would make far more sense.
Though martial artists were confident in their martial prowess, things were somewhat different if all those who came this time practiced the Visage of the Divine.
Owing to their peculiarities, such martial artists often avoided head-on clashes, choosing instead to exploit whatever favorable conditions existed around their quarry.
If someone like that wanted to know the exact situation, they would most likely observe in person. Therefore, that person had to be somewhere nearby, watching this scene from an unseen vantage point.
Chen Chuan's gaze flickered. His spirit instantly linked with Chaoming's high above, and through the bird's eyes, he swept his gaze across the surroundings.
Had he personally ascended into the sky to inspect the area, the watcher—if present—would certainly have evaded his notice immediately. But observing through an intermediary was an entirely different story.
Furthermore, viewing the world through Chaoming's senses offered another advantage: any creature that felt out of harmony with the environment could be spotted at once.
After a brief search, Chaoming's pupils dilated sharply, fixing upon a corner of the woods.
Chen Chuan's eyes narrowed. Perched on a branch was a Yingzhou gray. There were numerous other birds nearby, but this single one struck him as exceedingly bizarre—it stood motionless, its gaze fixed on his position.
Yet this bird's senses seemed exceptionally sharp as well. The very moment Chen Chuan saw it, it noticed him in return.
A glint of surprise showed in its eyes—a distinctly human expression.
In the next instant, its entire body burst apart. A beam of spiritual luminescence from far away pierced through its form, ripping onward into the rear and slicing a long gouge through the dense forest.
Yet a split second before the physical body blew apart, a nearly solid silhouette flashed out from within. Before it could flee far, however—
a fist gleaming with platinum radiance struck straight at its face!
Chapter 1224