Haijing Field

Seeing him say this, Chen Chuan replied, "Senior Cao." Cao Guixi gave an acknowledging hum. "I've already reviewed your file. You only have a thirty-five percent chance of reaching the third limit, but that only accounts for your personal effort. With external resources invested, that is an entirely different matter. "Because you signed a support agreement with the Disposal Bureau, you can apply for an irradiation of radiant light once every other month to enhance your bones, sinews, and musculature. At the same time, you can also take Tiancong Baicao's precious paste once a month to strengthen your internal organs. "The quota for radiant light irradiation is limited, monopolized by major corporations and government departments—and of course Wuyi Academy. If an individual wants access, having money alone won't get you a chance. "As for Wuyi's quota, though you just enrolled, if an opportunity arises, you can fight for it. Then you might get a turn once a month. "In addition, I can recommend you once." At this point, he looked at Chen Chuan and said indifferently, "Don't look surprised. This was originally my slot, but I no longer need it. Otherwise, the Disposal Bureau wouldn't have recommended me to mentor you. "There are no secrets or tricks to entering the third limit. It's nothing more than investment. No matter how much I teach or how many thousands of words I say, none of it is worth as much as providing these resources. "However..." He looked at Chen Chuan, his gaze fixing on him. "There is one prerequisite for what I'm giving you: your own mutated tissue must truly be able to grow. "Though I suppose there's no need to worry about that. I've read your file. To reach your current level at your age, it would be impossible without talent." Chen Chuan knew in his heart that he wasn't truly a person of genius. However, after fusing with his Second Self, the growth potential of his mutated tissue should have increased as well, so there was no need to worry about a growth cap for the time being. Just then, a pleasant chime rang from outside. The butler who had picked Chen Chuan up earlier walked over and whispered a few words into Cao Guixi's ear. Cao Guixi looked at Chen Chuan. "I've already booked a slot at Haijing Field. There's an opening today. If you're willing, you can head over right now. If you don't feel you have time today, there are two more opportunities in the middle and at the end of the month. Before booking, I'll have Uncle Ding notify you in advance." Chen Chuan said decisively, "I can go right now." Cao Guixi said, "Good. Uncle Ding, prepare the car." Ten minutes later, Chen Chuan followed Cao Guixi into a silver Yijue stretched armored luxury car. It drove out from Mount Motie, got onto the elevated highway, and headed north. Over an hour later, the car reached the northeastern area of Jiyang District. Chen Chuan looked outside. The buildings along both sides of the elevated highway had grown sparse, and beyond the broad road stood tower-like guard posts. Patrol cars drove by from time to time, and along the entire route, continuous fine mesh-like structures stretched across the sky, suggesting the entire area was under tight security. After descending from the highway, they drove along the road for another ten minutes and finally reached their destination. Before them stood a windowless grey building shaped like an elongated inverted trapezoid, standing alone beneath the sky. Within several kilometers, it was the only artificial structure. Upon arriving here, the boundary credential suddenly went dark, and he could no longer perceive anything from it. Cao Guixi said, "There is persistent field interference here, so boundary credentials cannot be used. But it's only for the time you're going in and coming out. When you're undergoing radiant light irradiation, you probably won't have the peace of mind to think about anything else anyway." Chen Chuan nodded. On the way over, Cao Guixi had warned him that the first radiant light exposure might be very difficult to endure, producing a sensation like when he first began conditioning, but far more intense. The car stopped on the open ground outside. Uncle Ding went ahead to speak with the guards first before they exited the car. Led by two heavily armed security personnel with loaded weapons, they entered the interior of the building, where a very solemn internal supervisor received them. The man led them to the reception desk, verified their identification cards, and had Chen Chuan and Cao Guixi sign a confirmation document. When that was done, a member of the medical team waiting nearby asked, "Do you require an injection of medication?" Cao Guixi looked at Chen Chuan. Chen Chuan had already learned earlier that due to the agony of radiant light irradiation, people often couldn't endure it, so they could receive an advance injection of pain-numbing medication. Although doing so might diminish the efficacy of the irradiation, radiant light was a resource where longer continuous exposure yielded better results; if one couldn't bear it and came out halfway through, it would be an outright waste. Facing everyone's gazes, he gave a firm answer: "No need." Yet he noticed that when he answered, several people nearby glanced at him and exchanged looks, seemingly with a mix of pity and schadenfreude. The supervisor checked his watch and said, "It is now four-thirty in the afternoon. It will take ten minutes to walk over, leaving you about fifteen to twenty minutes to prepare. Irradiation starts promptly at five o'clock and ends at six o'clock. "Except for the clothes on your body and a small amount of water and food, you are not permitted to carry any items not provided by us. Any violation will result in immediate termination. "Furthermore, if you cannot hold out, for the sake of your own safety, you must come out. Do not push yourself past your limits." Having finished, he looked at Cao Guixi, who said to Chen Chuan, "I'll wait for you outside." Chen Chuan nodded. Taking along the water and nutritional paste Cao Guixi had prepared for him in advance, he followed the supervisor inside. Past the lobby was a long, gentle downward slope ending at an elevator, in front of which stood fully armed security personnel holding firearms. Walking along the path, he could hear the hollow echo of footsteps. Without a word, the supervisor presented an internal identity card to the security guards and led Chen Chuan into the elevator. The indicator lights began at negative one and went all the way down to negative twenty before stopping. As the elevator doors slid open, the supervisor stepped out first. Chen Chuan followed behind and saw towering glass walls flanking both sides, through which deep blue seawater was visible. Faintly, blurry silhouettes of creatures could be seen swimming within. In the center stood a cylindrical glass column connecting the ceiling to the floor, narrower in the middle, reminding him of stalactites and stalagmites meeting in a limestone cavern. The supervisor walked over, slid open a movable door on the glass column, turned sideways, and said, "There is a strike plate on the door. If you need to leave halfway through, tap it. A medical team is waiting outside, ready to provide emergency aid at any moment. Exercise caution." Chen Chuan gave him a nod and stepped inside. He then heard the door close behind him. Looking around, he found a space of about forty square meters with a padded cushion in the center, completely empty all around. He sat down on the cushion, set aside the supplies he had brought, and recalled the information Cao Guixi had told him on the way here. Radiant light was a bioluminescence produced by a type of colossal deep-sea creature that had immense environmental adaptability. Through generations of breeding, researchers were now able to bring them briefly into shallow-sea environments to survive. The light emitted by these creatures caused various malignant symptoms in ordinary people, yet it produced beneficial effects for fighters. Supposedly, exposure to the light stimulated mutated tissue to secrete a substance called "taizhi," greatly strengthening bones, fascia, and surrounding tissues. However, these creatures could only come to shallow waters for one or two hours each day and required several days of recuperation afterward. Thus, it was an extremely scarce resource, sustained by the financial backing of major corporations and the government. Chen Chuan could guess that with such massive investment, providing enhancement services to fighters was likely just a secondary benefit; these creatures surely served an even more important purpose. As time ticked away, he heard the vibration of a strike plate from outside and knew the irradiation was about to begin. After waiting a brief moment, light suddenly flared from the surrounding glass walls. It was intensely bright and fierce, seemingly submerging him entirely in an instant. At that moment, he felt a pricking pain flare across his skin. Soon enough, his entire body grew numb and itchy. It was indeed just as Cao Guixi had said, remarkably similar to the sensation when he first began conditioning. And that was only the beginning. Before long, the sensation grew increasingly distinct. Mutated tissue throughout his entire body—especially around his bones and fascia—seemed to come alive, while various turbulent emotions began brewing within his mind and spirit. Upon sensing this, he immediately shifted both the pain and the harm over to his Second Self, then remained seated steadily in place. Meanwhile, an emergency medical team was waiting outside, checking their watches. In their experience, fighters coming here for irradiation for the first time were always full of confidence at the start. Soon, however, they would find it unbearable. They typically asked to come out around the fifteen-minute mark, rested for a bit, and then went back inside. Then they would usually come out again around the thirty-five- to forty-minute mark. By that stage, having mostly faced reality, they would have no choice but to accept the pain-relieving medication to avoid wasting further time, thereby completing the full session. The next time these fighters came, they would have learned their lesson, requesting the injection right off the bat to spare themselves the agony. Although the effect was somewhat diminished, once they realized most people did the same, they could accept it with peace of mind. Naturally, it wasn't that no one could tough it out through sheer willpower and physical resilience, but such individuals were extraordinarily rare; in recent years, they hadn't seen more than a handful of cases. Fifteen minutes quickly passed, and the medical staff had already begun preparing of their own accord. Yet after waiting a few more minutes, no movement came from within. Surprised, they exchanged looks. It seemed this fighter was quite capable of enduring hardship, his willpower firmer than most. Still, being able to endure the early phase meant nothing; the sensations would only grow more intense as time went on. Those who came out at least had a break to catch their breath and ease the agony. Without any intervals... In short, they were not at all optimistic about this one.