After stepping down from the sightseeing car, Chen Chuan had only taken a couple of steps when he heard a splash. Not far off, a silhouette leapt out from the lake.
The figure traced an arc through the air before plunging back into the water. Closely following behind, a greenish-black ridge swayed across the surface—belonging to what seemed to be a fairly large creature, apparently in pursuit of that person.
Lin Yingzi walked up and said, "This is an internal test for one of our service programs. We have surface shielding and underwater containment nets, so it's strictly confined to this area."
Chen Chuan couldn't help thinking back to when he had browsed the Secret Snake Cult's platform; there had been a program that required wrestling a type of water snake. Could this be it?
Just then, his gaze drifted across the water. On the opposite bank diagonally across the lake, sightseeing cars were parked in dense rows. People were getting off one after another and entering an oval building.
Chen Chuan asked, "What kind of service is that?"
Lin Yingzi answered, "That is our Secret Snake Cult's ancient health regimen service, along with the corresponding biological implant adaptation. It's very popular among Center City's upper-middle class.
"However, since you're a fighter, Mr. Chen, a service like that won't be of much use to you. If you ever want to purchase combat implants, you can speak with Mr. Zou. The cult can tailor them specifically for you."
As she spoke, she transmitted introductory material on their implant services to Chen Chuan's boundary credential and continued, "Implants can compensate for a fighter's shortcomings and deficiencies in certain areas, boosting their combat effectiveness. Even if damaged, they can be promptly repaired and replaced. Our Secret Snake Cult's implants place great emphasis on client experience and compatibility. With client cooperation, compatibility can usually reach over fifty percent..."
Chen Chuan didn't need any of this, but there was no harm in learning a bit. Who knew if he might encounter opponents using Secret Snake Cult implants down the line?
The two followed the wooden boardwalk for about a hundred paces until they arrived in front of the glass pavilion.
Because of the angle earlier and the obscuring trees, Chen Chuan had thought there was only this single structure. Up close, however, he realized the building was quite long; what he had seen was merely the front. A lengthy section extended deep into the botanical garden behind it, its overall shape resembling a serpent stretched out across the ground.
Stepping through the main doors, they found the path ahead split into a fork, much like the bifid tip of a serpent's tongue. Lin Yingzi moved to the right and made a welcoming gesture. "Mr. Chen, please come this way."
Chen Chuan glanced toward the other path. Lin Yingzi explained, "That side offers a similar service, intended for fighters of higher limits."
"The third limit...?"
After one more look, Chen Chuan withdrew his gaze and headed down the right corridor. Curved glass panels flanked both sides, revealing pleasing greenery outside. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the foliage; far from feeling confined, the long, narrow corridor offered an odd sense of security.
After walking for about half a minute, they arrived in a chamber supported by ribbed arch vaulting. Zou Handan was already waiting there. With a smile, he greeted, "Mr. Chen, welcome."
He stepped forward to shake Chen Chuan's hand, then led him before a thick glass partition compartment. "Take a look, Mr. Chen. This is the snake molt we selected for you this time."
Chen Chuan looked through the glass wall. It was a long serpent with golden-yellow scales coiled around an artificial tree trunk. It was quite massive—at a rough glance, about eight or nine meters long. While its exterior looked no different from an ordinary snake, its interior was surely something else entirely.
"Based on the data you provided, Mr. Chen, we selected the top-grade snake molt from this batch. Its service duration can reach up to seventy-two hours."
Zou Handan smiled and added, "The longer you remain inside at one time, the better the service results will be. However, we must prioritize our clients' safety, so you may withdraw early at any time."
Chen Chuan received a document transmitted to his boundary credential, detailing disclosable information such as the snake molt's weight, length, and grade.
A special note below specified that the client had to enter inside the snake molt to achieve the service effects. Near the snake's throat were two touchable pieces of cartilage; pressing them would constrict its breathing and force its maw open, allowing the person to exit.
If the client felt uncertain, the overseer would activate field monitoring; if significant fluctuations were detected in the field, they would enter, slice the snake molt open, and rescue them.
The document also listed protocols for various potential scenarios. On the whole, it was very thorough and covered all bases.
Zou Handan said, "A large amount of formulated nutrients is stored within the snake molt's body. While wrapping around and compressing the client, it continuously delivers nourishment to help restore and maintain their physical stamina. If the client introduces medicines that aid martial cultivation into it, the results are even better.
"However, these medicines are not included in the standard service. If you require them, Mr. Chen, our cult can supply them, though they are billed separately."
Chen Chuan asked, "Can only your cult's medicines be used?"
"Of course not. It's just that our secret medicines are more compatible, whereas commercial medicines require larger doses to achieve the same effect."
Chen Chuan nodded. "So increasing the dosage is all it takes?"
"That is correct," Zou Handan said.
Chen Chuan immediately used his boundary credential to contact Fan Qingshan of Qingnang Jade Workshop. The call connected shortly, and Fan Qingshan asked, "Trainee Chen, are you contacting me with some feedback or a request?"
"I need Supervisor Fan to deliver on his prior promise," Chen Chuan said.
Fan Qingshan replied without hesitation, "Certainly. Whatever medicines you need for your training, I can have them dispatched to Wuyi Academy—"
"I'm currently at Split Wave Canyon," Chen Chuan interjected.
Fan Qingshan caught on at once. "The Secret Snake Cult?"
"Yes. I purchased one of their services."
As supervisor of the countermeasures department, Fan Qingshan was intimately familiar with the various corporations and organizations across Center City. Piecing together Chen Chuan's words, he instantly grasped what kind of service it was. "I'll arrange for someone to deliver the drugs right away."
A batch of medicine was truly nothing to Qingnang Jade Workshop; the drug trial data was what mattered. He only felt it was a pity that, because it involved a Secret Snake Cult service, this data would never be shared outside.
Ending the call, Chen Chuan said to Zou Handan, "Someone will be delivering the medicine shortly."
In less than three quarters of an hour, an armored transport vehicle bearing the corporate insignia of Qingnang Jade Workshop drove into Split Wave Canyon.
Zou Handan was genuinely taken aback. In all of Great Shun, the only pharmaceutical giant whose sheer scale could rival Tiancong Baicao was Qingnang Jade Workshop. In an era where no one could do without medicines, people in his line of work understood all too well the colossal power such pharmaceutical enterprises wielded.
Yet with a single call, Chen Chuan had Qingnang Jade Workshop dispatching drugs on demand.
He gave Chen Chuan a deep, contemplative look, his manner turning even more courteous. He gave instructions for the medicines to be injected into the snake molt's body via hoses.
The snake molt could carry these drugs perfectly and infuse them into the client through compression and permeation during the service. Although some medicinal potency would inevitably be lost, blending with the nutrients inherent to the serpent's body made them milder and far easier for the client to absorb.
Furthermore, the amount Qingnang Jade Workshop had sent was enough for three people, allowing them to pump it in without the slightest restraint.
After waiting about half an hour, Zou Handan walked over to Chen Chuan, who was seated in the lounge, and said, "Mr. Chen, our preparations are complete. The service can begin at any time. When would be convenient for you?"
Chen Chuan stood up. "Right now is fine."
Zou Handan gave a nod, and Lin Yingzi stepped forward to lead the way, escorting him outside a chamber.
Standing at the doorway, Lin Yingzi said to him, "Mr. Chen, inside you will find a shower and a changing room. You may leave your personal belongings here as well. No one else will enter this room, and staff will be waiting outside. If you need anything, please feel free to let us know."
Chen Chuan slid open the door and stepped inside. Looking around, he saw an enclosed, windowless room. There was another door ahead, behind which lay the chamber housing the snake molt.
Because he would have to remove his boundary credential during the service, he first contacted Gao Ming to let him know he might be out of reach for the next few days. He also explained the situation to Wu Bei and Lu Fang, advising that if any action were to be taken, it would be best to wait until his service concluded.
Afterward, he switched off the boundary credential, placed it into an isolation case, and went to the changing room to slip into the wetsuit-like attire prepared for him.
It was a highly breathable bio-membrane suit. It didn't cling tightly to the skin; instead, it felt like a protective layer of thick hide, designed to cushion the client against the snake molt's constrictions while aiding the absorption of the transmitted medicines.
With everything ready, he walked toward the opposite door. The instant he pushed it open, his Second Self merged with him.
Since his current physical condition was far superior to that of fighters at this level—even rivaling those of the third limit—a snake molt intended only for Second Limit fighters would have had relatively limited efficacy on him. Therefore, he chose a low-state manifestation, which would allow him to achieve the full effect just the same.
Beyond the opened door lay a cylindrical corridor over thirty meters long, evocative of a snake run. He walked the length of it, ultimately arriving inside the chamber he had seen from outside earlier.
Looking up, he saw the giant serpent coiled around the thick artificial trunk, its apricot-yellow slit pupils fixed upon him.
Following the instructions he had read earlier on the boundary credential, Chen Chuan slowly spread his arms wide. As if stimulated by the gesture, the giant snake suddenly lunged downward, parted its jaws wide, and swallowed him whole in a single gulp.
Chapter 314